The Cannes Film Festival celebrates its 75th iteration this 2022, with a rich portfolio of Filipino films under the Philippine delegation.
Cannes Film Festival is highly regarded as one of the most prestigious film festivals worldwide, if not the most distinguished of its kind. This 2022, the ongoing festival celebrates its momentous 75th edition with an ever-impressive lineup, including three films under the Philippine delegation.
Directed by Chie Hayakawa, Plan 75 is a Japan-France-Philippines collaboration about a fictional voluntary euthanasia program by the same title and follows three main characters: “an elderly woman whose means of survival are vanishing, a pragmatic Plan 75 salesman, and a young Filipino labourer” who must choose between life and death. Selected to compete in the Un Certain Regard section of the festival, the film is co-produced by Filipino producer Alemberg Ang and Filipino production company Fusee, helmed by Will Fredo.
See also: Sundance Film Festival Selects Two Filipino Films for 2022 Competition
Meanwhile, veteran filmmaker Mike de Leon presents the now-restored version of his first-ever feature film Itim, initially produced 46 years ago. Participating in the Cannes Classics section, the gripping film centres on new friends Jun and Teresa as the two uncover that the latter has been possessed by her sister’s spirit—and with it, the painful truth about her heartbreaking disappearance.
Finally, Triangle of Sadness by Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund, featuring Filipina actress Dolly de Leon, zones in on models Carl and Yaya as they are marooned on a desert island with billionaires and one of the cruise ship’s cleaners. The kicker? Only the housekeeper knows how to fish. Nominated for the illustrious Palme d’Or, it is poised to be among the must-watch films of the season.
See also: Ishmael Bernal, Lino Brocka, Lav Diaz: 12 Directors Who Have Shaped Philippine Cinema
