Despite the strike in Hollywood, the Deauville festival celebrates American cinema

2023-08-30 10:21:02

This year, fourteen films are in competition to succeed Charlotte Wells, winner of the Grand Prix of the 2022 festival. Even if several stars have canceled their attendance, Todd Haynes and Rebecca Miller have confirmed their presence.

This will be a somewhat special edition. The traditional Deauville American Film Festival opens this Friday, September 1, despite the historic strike which paralyzes Hollywood and deprives the Normandy event of stars, starting with Natalie Portman. The actress, known for her roles in Black Swan, Star Warsor Jackie, was to receive a Deauville Talent Award, as guest of honor of the festival canceled her visit.

80 films screened

The 49th edition of the Deauville American Film Festival is to be held until September 10, with 80 films screened. This year, the jury is chaired by French actor and director Guillaume Canet. But the strike of part of the world of American cinema shakes up this annual meeting of the seventh art. For two months, the actors have joined the screenwriters in this social movement, demanding better remuneration and supervision of the use of artificial intelligence.

Their powerful union, the SAG-AFTRA, prohibits all its members, even the most illustrious, from filming during the strike but also from participating in the promotion of films. Deauville thus had to say goodbye to Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Peter Dinklage, who canceled their coming in support of the union mobilization.

Rebecca Miller and Todd Haynes in competition

Despite these last-minute changes, the festival has announced that it wants to maintain its programming: “it is in this context of resistance that we have written the history of this edition, where independent cinema is preparing for the future in a rapidly changing industry”the organizers wrote.

Deauville will nevertheless be able to count on the presence of directors, including Todd Haynes (May December with Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore) and Rebecca Miller (She came to me, with Peter Dinklage, Marisa Tomei and Anne Hathaway), or Jerry Schatzberg, 96, to whom a tribute must be paid. Fourteen films are in competition for the Grand Prize, including I.S.S. de Gabriela Cowperthwaite (Blackfish) et Manodrome by John Trengove. Last year, Charlotte Wells was rewarded for After sun.