05/07/2023 - Among the 17 films vying for the Golden Leopard are well-known names and debut features which, in various ways, attempt to give meaning to an uncertain present

The 76th edition of the Locarno Film Festival, taking place from 2 to 12 August, aims to be “a frame that presents itself as a possible image of the world,” to quote its artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro. Aware of the complex historical moment we live in, the festival has sought, in several different ways, to offer an image of our world and of the various directions that filmmakers explore to try and give meaning to the reality that surrounds them. While the International Competition gives ample space to emerging directors, the Out of Competition section is on the other hand dedicated to the great masters. 

214 films are programmed this year, among them 110 world premieres and 6 international premieres. 21 debut features are eligible for the Swatch First Feature Award. Among the people honoured during this 76th edition are American director Harmony Korine (Honorary Leopard), Taiwanese director Tsai Ming-liang (Career Leopard), Italian producer and director Renzo Rossellini (Lifetime Achievement Award), Danish producer Marianne Slot ( Raimondo Rezzonico Award) and young British actor Riz Ahmed (Excellence Award Campari). French actor Lambert Wilson will, meanwhile, be president of the jury for the International Competition.

Worth pointing out among the 17 films selected in International Competition is the presence of directors presenting their first feature works, among them The Permanent Picture [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Laura Ferrés
film profile] by Spain’s Laura Ferrés which tells of the decisive encounter between two women from two different generations; Stepne [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Maryna Vroda, set in the gorgeous snowy landscapes of Ukraine where the film’s protagonist returns; Patagonia [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] from young Italian director Simone Bozzelli whose short film J’ador was named Best Short Film in International Critics’ Week at the 2020 Venice International Film Festival; and Baan [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Leonor Teles
film profile] by the equally young Portuguese director Leonor Teles, winner of the Golden Bear for Best Short Film for Balada de um batraquio.

As for the well-known names from this year’s edition, highly anticipated are the world premieres of the black humour-tinged road movie Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Radu Jude
film profile] by Romanian director Radu Jude, and of Essential Truths of the Lake [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Filipino director Lav Diaz, who already won the Golden Leopard in 2014 for From What Is Before. Also anticipated is the last feature film from Swiss-Portuguese filmmaker Basil da Cunha, titled Manga d’terra [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Basil Da Cunha
film profile], which tells the story of a musician at heart who moves from Cape Verde to Lisbon where she finds herself caught up in the violence of the city. Swiss is also represented, this time as co-producer, with Obscure night - Goodbye Here, Anywhere [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sylvain George
film profile] from French director Sylvain George. France will be represented this year by Quentin Dupieux with his film Yannick [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] which centres on the sudden and unexpected interruption of a play. 

Among the many other European productions and co-productions in the programme, we also find the cruel and bloody Rossosperanza [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] from Italian director Annarita Zambrano; Animal [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sofia Exarchou
film profile] by Greece’s Sofia Exarchou, which centres on a group of performers grappling with the madness of summer; The Invisible Fight [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Estonia’s Rainer Sarnet, focused on a Soviet-Chinese border guard who decides to become a monk; Sweet Dreams [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ena Sendijarević
film profile] by Bosnian filmmaker Ena Sendijarević, a satire set on an Indonesian island in the colonial era; the experimental and psychedelic film The Human Surge 3 [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Argentina’s Eduardo Williams; and Critical Zone [+see also:
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trailer
film profile] by Iranian director Ali Ahmadzadeh, which transports us to a menacing Tehran. 

Ten films out of the twelve in the Out of Competition section are European productions and co-productions. The country most represented among them is France, present with 6 (co)productions: Paul Vecchiali’s homage to Jean-Luc Godard, titled Bonjour la langue [+see also:
trailer
film profile]; 5 hectares [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], the fourth feature film from  Emilie Deleuze; Barbet Schroeder’s Ricardo and Painting [+see also:
trailer
film profile], a co-production with Switzerland that paints a portrait of artist and friend Ricardo Cavallo; Best Secret Place from the young directing duo Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel; as well as She Is Conann [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bertrand Mandico
film profile] and the short film Nous les barbares, a free and feminist reinterpretation from the character of the same name by Bertrand Mandico. A strong presence as well for Italy, with Lovano Supreme [+see also:
film review
film profile] by Franco Maresco; Mimì – Prince of Darkness [+see also:
film review
film profile], the feature directorial debut from Rome’s Brando De Sica; and Procida [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], whose artistic direction and supervision was entrusted to Leonardo Di Costanzo. Completing the European presence at the festival is What Remains [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], a co-production between Hong Kong, the U.K. and Finland by Chinese director Ran Huang.

The selected films:

International Competition

Animal [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sofia Exarchou
film profile] – Sofia Exarchou (Greece/Austria/Romania/Cyprus/Bulgaria)
Baan [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Leonor Teles
film profile] – Leonor Teles (Portugal)
The Human Surge 3 [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Eduardo Williams (Argentina/Portugal/the Netherlands/Taiwan/Brazil/Hong Kong/Sri Lanka/Peru)
Essential Truths of the Lake [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Lav Diaz (the Philippines/France/Portugal/Singapore/France/Switzerland/United Kingdom)
The Permanent Picture [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Laura Ferrés
film profile] - Laura Ferrés (Spain/France)
Lousy Carter - Bob Byington (United States)
Manga d’terra [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Basil Da Cunha
film profile] - Basil Da Cunha (Switzerland/ Portugal)
Critical Zone [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Ali Ahmadzadeh (Iran/Germany)
The Invisible Fight [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Rainer Sarnet (Estonia/Latvia/Greece/Finland)
Do Not Expect Too Much of the End of the World [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Radu Jude
film profile] – Radu Jude (Romania/Luxembourg/France/Croatia)
Obscure Night - Goodbye Here, Anywhere [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sylvain George
film profile] - Sylvain George (France/Switzerland)
Patagonia [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Simone Bozzelli (Italy)
Rossosperanza [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Annarita Zambrano (Italy/France)
Stepne [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Maryna Vroda (Ukraine/Germany/Poland/Slovakia)
Sweet Dreams [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ena Sendijarević
film profile] - Ena Sendijarević (the Netherlands/Switzerland/Indonesia/France)
The Vanishing Soldier [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Dani Rosenberg (Israel)
Yannick [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Quentin Dupieux (France)

Out of Competition

5 hectares [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Émilie Deleuze (France)
Best Secret Place - Caroline Poggi, Jonathan Vinel (France)
Bonjour la langue [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Paul Vecchiali (France)
Conann [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Bertrand Mandico
film profile] - Bertrand Mandico (Luxembourg/France/Belgium)
Lovano Supreme [+see also:
film review
film profile] - Franco Maresco (Italy)
Mademoiselle Kenopia - Denis Côté (Canada)
Mimì – Prince of Darkness [+see also:
film review
film profile] - Brando De Sica (Italy)
Nous les barbares - Bertrand Mandico (Luxembourg/Belgium/France) (short film)
Procida [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – artistic direction and supervision by Leonardo Di Costanzo (Italy)
Ricardo and Painting [+see also:
trailer
film profile] - Barbet Schroeder (Switzerland/ France)
Triggered - Richard V. Somes (the Philippines/United States)
What Remains [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Ran Huang (Hong Kong/UK/Finland) 

(Translated from Italian)