The 75th Cannes Film Festival has officially started. After the opening ceremony, the first film presented was “Cut!” by Michel Hazanavicius, a comedy tribute to the Z series.
Cannes 2022, first day!
Cannes Film Festival 2022 is launched since this Tuesday, May 17! Until May 28, many films from all over the world will be presented to festival-goers every day. In official competition, out of competition, in preview or in the additional sections. The ceremony of this 75th edition was led by the mistress of ceremonies Virginie Efirawhich will also be on the Croisette to support two feature films: Don Juan by Serge Bozon (preview) and See Paris again by Alice Winocour (Directors’ Fortnight).
After the usual introduction to the festival in the Grand Théâtre Lumière, with the presentation of the jury chaired by Vincent Lindon, the tribute to Forest Whitaker (who received an honorary Palme d’or), and the intervention of the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, Cannes 2022 kicked off with the projection of Cut! by Michel Hazanavicius.
The “small cinema” in the spotlight with Cut!
The choice of Cut! to open the 2022 Cannes Film Festival will have been, to say the least relevant and symbolic. Indeed, what better way to launch the most famous film festival than a work that pays tribute to cinema. Not really in the 7th art. But to resourceful films, with very low budgets. Specifically here at Z-series. A comedy in a zombie vibe which clashes with the usual image of the festival – there had all the same been The Dead Don’t Lie by Jim Jarmush in competition in 2019.
And if on the steps of the red carpet it is rather rhinestones and sequins that dominate, in Hazanavicius’ feature film, it is rather floral shirt, blue paint on the body and debauchery of hemoglobin.
remake of Don’t cut! (2019) by Shin’ichirō Ueda, Cut! is a beautiful madness that stages shooting a zombie movie. A broke work for which a director will try to go to the end, despite all kinds of unforeseen events. With this comedy Hazanavicius therefore speaks of cinema, creation and team cohesion around an artistic objective, regardless of the means given and the quality of the final result. In this the choice of this film to open the Cannes festival seems perfect. As for lightness appreciable at the start of the festival, only for its affectionate representation for the different trades involved on a shoot.
Cut! is currently in theaters. Check out our review here.
