The Cannes film Festival announced on Monday evening the composition of the jury of its 72nd edition. Chaired by the mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman, The Revenant, Babel, or Biutiful), he respects the exact parity: four men and four women. The american actress Elle Fanning, the film director in burkina faso Maimouna n’diaye, director and producer american Kelly Reichardt and the director of the Italian Alice Rohrwacher will meet the French artist Enki Bilal, the French director Robin Campillo and the director of Greek Yorgos Lanthimos and the Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski.
It is quite rare that a comic book author integrates the jury of the international film Festival of Cannes. For the 72nd edition, the general delegate Thierry Frémaux asked the cartoonist Enki Bilal if he wanted to join the cast of . While he was working on the adaptation into a tv series of its series Bug free of which the second volume has recently been published by Casterman, the author multicard, who has three films (Bunker Palace Hotel, Thyko Moon and Immortal Ad Vitam) has accepted with enthusiasm to participate at the directors ‘ fortnight at cannes 2019.
LE FIGARO. – How have you been approached by the festival de Cannes?
Enki BILAL. – This is done very simply. Thierry Frémaux called me and asked me if I would like to join the members of the jury of this 72nd edition, chaired by Iñárritu. I think that with Pierre Lescure, they are concerted, and that they have thought of me. My name came out naturally explained Thierry Frémaux. I am honoured.
Have you ever been part of a festival jury of film?
Yes. I had been invited to attend the american film festival of Deauville, france, as a member of the jury, chaired by Alain Corneau, 2005. And under the presidency of Patrice Chéreau, I had been a member of the jury at the asian film festival in 2008. I had also been president of the jury at the festival du film fantastique de Gérardmer, in 2012. But then, I admit that it is very nice to move to a higher level.
This is to say?
“The Cannes film festival remains, nonetheless, quite a glamorous side. And this even if the profession and the film industry have changed over the years”
first of all, what I like, it is to embark on board of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. The Cannes film festival remains, nonetheless, quite a glamorous side. And this even if the profession and the film industry have changed over the years. Cannes remains a showcase quite wonderful for the 7th art And it is wonderful that France can continue to put forward such an showcase, if only because France is the country where is born the cinema thanks to the Lumière brothers.
It would appear that this is the first time that a COMICS author, is a member of the Cannes film festival…
Not, honour to the ladies, 2008, Cannes had called Marjane Satrapi to be part of it. Anyway, as I’m very elegant, if I had been asked to be a member of the jury in cannes, before a cartoonist, I would have spent my tour! Aside from that, I believe that there are many gateways between the cinema and the comic strip. The time is far, I believe, where we looked at an eye, and despising the cartoonists of the COMIC…
What do you think of the official selection which was unveiled a few days ago?
I admit that I didn’t really pay attention until then. I had assumed that the presence of a few regulars such as the Dardenne brothers, Terrence Malick, and the potential came in the competition of the new movie of Quentin Tarantino… But be careful, Thierry Frémaux has me well warned, from now on, I am bound by a duty of reserve. So I not going to say nothing more, except that I am looking forward to being able to see two to three movies a day during the fortnight in cannes!
