Deadline caught up with Artistic DirectorAva Cahenon the eve of the 63rd edition.
How was it this year?
AVA CAHEN:We always put the counters back to zero.
Ava Cahen, Cannes Critics' Week Artistic Director© Aurélie Lamachère
So everything felt new, even if its my third year.
We received a few more films than normal and screened 1,050 features.
Its hard when youve only got 11 slots.
Adam Bessa in Critics Week opener ‘Ghost Trail.’Cannes Critics Week
Obviously there were a lot more than 11 films that we would have liked to have welcomed.
There was a lot of discussion.
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DEADLINE:Were there any trends this year?
This year it has been exceptional.
Why did you set this film for the opening?
We felt it would set the tone.
We also like to welcome French cinema and to show its plurality, its diversity.
DEADLINE: Looking at the overall selection, do any themes or topics come to the fore?
CAHEN:We dont start with presuppositions.
Were led by the filmmakers and their cinema.
The selection is always at the service of the artists who present their current vision of the world.
Theres a bit more drama this year, which is maybe a reflection of the world today.
Its a cinematic gesture by the director Alexis Langlois.
Its a multi-format, multi-genre work, which speaks different cinema languages.
ItsPhantom of the ParadisemeetsA Star is Bornmeets an Ophelie Winter music video.
Can you tell us about the film?
Its a drama about a mother, re-telling the lives of the so-called Invisibles.
