Set to roll in a cinematic extravaganza, the Cannes Film Festival awaits, where several projects supported by Qatar’s Doha Film Institute will take centre stage.
The upcoming Cannes Film Festival will feature six projects supported by Qatar’s Doha Film Institute (DFI).
The curtains are set to rise on the 77th edition of the prestigious festival on Tuesday, where film buffs of the world will gather on the French Riviera to witness a cinematic feat like no other.
On Sunday, the DFI uploaded a post via Instagram expressing their “pride” in supporting the six films set to debut at the festival either with the coveted DFI Grants Programme or co-financing.
This is part of the institute’s framework of upholding “its proud legacy of supporting compelling films from across the globe,” they said in a Saturday news release.
‘Rendez-vous avec Pol Pot,’ which was co-financed by the DFI, will screen during the Cannes Premiere at the Théâtre Debussy venue.
Based on a true story, ‘Rendez-vous,’ which was directed by Rithy Panh, journeys viewers through the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia and the rise of the Khmer Rouge. The DFI is credited with contributing to the film’s secondary production.
Meanwhile, during the festival’s adjacent Semaine de la Critique (‘Critic’s Week’), which starts on May 15, three DFI-backed films will be screened. Among them are ‘The Brink of Dreams,’ ‘Locust’ and ‘Across the Sea.’ Each of the films unpacks the struggles of navigating societal pressures within the global south.
At the Quinzaine des Cinéastes (‘Director’s Fortnight’) segment of the festival, ‘East of Noon’ and ‘To a Land Unknown’, both beneficiaries of DFI grants, will be featured.
For Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, the DFI’s CEO, “the eclectic selection of DFI-backed projects selected at Cannes this year demonstrates the Institute’s commitment to supporting compelling voices and powerful stories that have the potential to shape world cinema.
“We are honoured to partner with internationally renowned creative visionaries and emerging talent from the Arab world and beyond to offer a captivating window into different cultures and perspectives to foster a sense of global unity,” she added.
Works in progress
Other projects backed by the DFI will also showcase at the festival.
At the upcoming Marché du Film de Cannes event, ‘The Myth of Mahmoud,’ which was produced by Shaima Al Tamimi – a senior digital marketing specialist at the Doha Film Institute. This is part of the Palestine Film Institute’s collaboration with Cannes Docs to showcase documentaries still in progress.
Al Tamimi’s documentary follows the story of Mayar Jamal Hamdan, who co-directed the film alongside Al Tamimi, and her maternal family, whose residency in Qatar spans six decades.
Hamdan, a visual artist and writer, and her family are of Palestinian descent.
Al Tamimi’s film explores the theme of grief and unlawful displacement within the Palestinian diaspora through Hamdan’s mother, Amal, who is grappling with the loss of her residency sponsor Mahmoud Said – Hamdan’s grandfather.
The DFI-backed ‘My Father’s House’ by Mahdi Fleifel will also be shown as part of the Cannes Docs initiative.
Randa Maroufi’s ‘L’Mina’ will also be screened within the festival’s Focus Work in Progress section organised by the Short Film Corner.
