Presentation
The Pavilion and La Fabrique Cinema programme showcase films from around the world — helping projects that receive little support, that deal with complex issues and which are sometimes censored in their home countries. They defend the values of cultural diversity on screens around the world.
EDITORIALS
Édito des partenaires
The 72nd Festival de Cannes is preparing to spotlight some wonderful pieces of world cinema — films that reflect the contemporary world in all its diversity. It will transport us, showing us the world through the eyes of great filmmakers, both household names or those climbing the famous steps at Cannes for the very first time.
Les Cinémas du Monde Pavilion initiative by the Institut français in partnership with France Médias Monde, the Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (Sacem) and the International Organisation of La Francophonie, reflects a drive towards a common goal, which is to bring people together in support of cultural diversity and different languages and forms of expression. It promotes both French and international cultural and creative industries. The emblematic programme of this pavilion, La Fabrique Cinéma de l’Institut français, helps young directors from emerging countries to express and develop their creativity, by providing them with a place for discussion and to meet people, and by helping them develop their writing, production and direction projects.
At the Pavilion, we will be welcoming all those who work in international co-production and are financed by l’Aide aux cinémas du monde fund. We will have the opportunity to introduce and meet talented African filmmakers in conjunction with the African film library, a unique collection of recent and heritage African films, and for which we aim to restore 20 films for 2020. Representatives of France’s cultural network abroad will speak about new ways of promoting French cinema and how we can build a viable, virtuous economic model for virtual reality productions.
We would like to thank our partners, who make these events possible, as well as our participants and contributors, who help make world cinema such a rewarding and visible field.
We hope you enjoy the festival.
Pierre Buhler
President of the Institut français
Louise Mushikiwabo
Secretary General of La Francophonie
Jean-Claude Petit
Author, Vice-Chairman of the Management Board of Sacem
Marie-Christine Saragosse
Chief Executive Officer of France Médias Monde
PIERRE LESCURE
President of the Festival de Cannes
The compelling Mastroianni spoke of the artists of our time as the last adventurers, and the ultimate romantics. This year’s Cannes Film Festival and La Fabrique Cinéma, each illuminated by two female pioneers of cinema, are proof. The first, who we see performing a daring balancing act on the official poster for the 72nd Cannes Film Festival, was a conveyor and a gleaner, observant and inquisitive. In her wake, we have an exemplary patron to take up the mantle.
[To reference “One Sings, the Other Doesn’t”:] one films, the other...does too! They both make fictional films and documentaries.
One produces her own films, the other does too.
In her Parisian workshop on Rue Daguerre, one put together her own creations that received acclaim as far as Hollywood, a place where the other is quite at home. Just as at home as she is at the school she set up in Uganda for African filmmakers.
One is the only woman to have won an Honorary Palme d’Or, the other is the first Indian filmmaker to have won a Caméra d’Or.
Agnès Varda and Mira Nair may be polar opposites in style and genre, but these two prolific, activist artists have in common their boldness and determination. We can only bow down with deep, yet joyous respect, because we owe them both a candle that burns brightly and fiercely, and never goes out.
Pierre Lescure
President of the Festival de Cannes
