Czech short animated film Happy End was selected for La Quinzaine des Réalisateurs, Ikarie XB 1, the classic Czech sci-fi film from 1963, this year digitally restored by the Czech National Film Archive will be shown within Cannes Classics. The Czech producer of French origin, Artemio Benki from Sirena Film, can boast of two minority co-productions with France selected to the most important sections of the official programme: Personal Shopper became a part of the Competition and La danseuse of Un Certain Regard. And finally, there is a Czech minority co-production – the short animated film Superbia in Semaine de la critique.

Apart from the festival programme, Czech films are also screened at Marché du film: Petr Vaclav’s We Are Not Alone, Jakub Šmíd’s Laputa, the animated feature film Pat & Mat from Marek Beneš, Steve Liechtag’s Aldabra and the Czech minority co-production Satisfaction 1720 (directed by Henrik Ruben Genz).

Official selection

HAPPY END

QUINZAINE DES RÉALISATEURS

CZ 2015, 6 min
DIRECTOR Jan Saska

 

A black comedy about death, with a happy ending. A glorious chain of unlikely encounters: a group of hunters, a tractor driver, a skinhead; blood, alcohol, and a corpse.

Thu 19  May  14:45  Theatre Croisette
Fri   20  May  16:00  Studio 13

 

IKARIE XB1

CANNES CLASSICS

CS 1963, 84 min
DIRECTOR Jindřich Polák

 

It is the second half of the 22nd century and a spaceship called Ikarie XB 1 is on its way to Alfa Centauri to search for extraterrestrial forms of life. Its crew, made up primarily of scientists from various fields, being far from our solar system, is exposed to unknown and unimaginable dangers. At the same time, though, it also carries a number of ordinary human worries as well as joys. The only classical Czech sci-fi movie exerts masterful special effects and impressive production design together with modern
electronic music and strong ensemble cast. The film is said to be among the germane sources of inspiration for Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Sat 15 May 13:00 Buňuel

 

PERSONAL SHOPPER

COMPETITION

FR, CZ, DE 2016, 105 min
DIRECTOR Olivier Assayas

 

Maureen is a young American in Paris making her living as a personal shopper for a celebrity. Also, she may have the psychic ability to communicate with spirits, just like her twin brother, Lewis, who recently passed away. Maureen soon starts receiving mysterious messages coming from an unknown source.

Mon 16 May 19:00 Debussy (PS)
Mon 16 May 21:30 Bazin (PS)
Tue 17 May 11:00 Lumiére
Tue 17 May 22:00 Lumiére
Wed 18 May 17:00 Soixantiéme
Wed 18 May 16:00 Olympia 4 (MS)
Thu 19 May 10:00 Lérins 3 (MS)

THE DANCER / LA DANSEUSE

UN CERTAIN REGARD

FR, CZ, BE 2016, 108 min
DIRECTOR Stéphanie di Giusto

Nothing in her background destined Loïe Fuller from the American Midwest to become a Belle Epoque icon, even less a dancer at the Paris Opera. Even at the risk of destroying her back and burning her eyes with the stage lights, she will never falter in the quest to perfect her dance. But her meeting with Isadora Duncan — a young prodigy hungry for glory — will lead to her downfall…

Fri 13 May 14:00 Debbussy
Fri 13 May 22:15 Debbussy
Sat 14 May 10:00 Bazin
Sat 14 May 11:30 Arcades 1 (MS)
Mon 16 May 9:30 Olympia 9 (MS)

 

SUPERBIA

SEMAINE DE LA CRITIQUE

HU, CZ, SK 2016, 16 min
DIRECTOR Luca Tóth

 

The native people of the surrealistic land of Superbia, where men and women form separate societies, face the changes sparked by the first equal couple in their history.

Tue 17 May 14:15 Espace Miramar
Tue 17 May 19:45 Espace Miramar
Thu 19May 18:30 Théâtre Alexandre III
 

Market Screenings

WE ARE NEVER ALONE / NIKDY NEJSME SAMI

CZ, FR 2016 / 103 min
DIRECTOR Petr Vaclav

Thu 12 May 13:30 Palais D

 

LAPUTA

CZ 2015, 93 min
DIRECTOR Jakub Šmíd

Fri 13 May 12:00 Gray 5

 

ALDABRA

CZ 2015, 73 min
DIRECTOR Steve Lichtag

Wed 11 May 11:30 Lérins 2
Mon 16 May 13:30 Lérins 2

 

PAT & MAT

CZ 2016, 83 min
DIRECTOR Marek Beneš

Fri May 13 13:30 Palais D
Tue May 17 15:30 Palais H

SATISFACTION 1720 / TORDENSKJOLD & KOLD

DK, NO, SE, CZ 2016 / 93 min
DIRECTOR Henrik Ruben Genz

Thu May 12 18:00 Palais I