The Cannes Film Festival isn’t just about uncovering the brightest new talents, and freshest expressions of the cinematic art (but yes, it’s a huge part of it). Each year, organizers curate a great selection of classic films, and this year is no different.
Films by Alfred Hitchcock, Sergio Leone, Frank Capra, Jean Renoir, Wim Wenders, Francois Truffaut, Krzysztof Kieślowski and more will be unveiled, many newly restored, giving the current generation of moviegoers a chance to look back at the movies that likely inspired many Cannes filmmakers.
Cannes will also be bestowing Sophia Loren with Guest Of Honor status, with the actress giving a masterclass to attendees. Cannes runs from May 14th to 25th. Press release below.
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Sophia Loren as a guest of honor, the birth of the Italian western, 30 years old for Paris, Texas, a homage to Henri Langlois, Kieslowski back at Cannes, a masterpiece of Georgian cinema, an unacknowledged film by Raymond Bernard about WWI, rediscovering the colors of Sayat Nova, restorations coming from all over the world, here comes Cannes Classics 2014.
Ten years ago our relationship with contemporary cinema was about to be shaken up by digital revolution. The Festival de Cannes created Cannes Classics, a selection which allows production companies, right holders, cinematheques and national archives throughout the world to show their work done to preserve patrimonial value. Now an essential part of the Official Selection with a presence that inspired several international festivals. Cannes Classics presents old-established features and masterpieces from the history of film in restored prints.
Cannes also gives itself the mission to delight audiences of today with the memory of cinema. Thus Cannes Classics confers the prestige of the world’s biggest festival on rediscovered films, accompanying all new exploitations: release in theaters, VOD or DVD edition/Blu-ray of the great works of the past.
The selected films for 2014 will be screened at the Palais des Festivals, Salle Buñuel or Salle du Soixantième, with the restoration teams and with those who directed them, when they still among us.
The program of the edition 2014 of Cannes Classics is made of twenty-two features and two documentaries. The films will be screened as the right holders wish them to be: DCP 2K or DCP 4K. For the first time no 35mm print will be screened at Cannes Classics with regret for some or with celebration for others.
- Guest of honor: SOPHIA LOREN
Award for Best Actress in 1961 and president of the jury in 1966, Sophia Loren is the guest of honor of Cannes Classics. She will be present at the screening of LA VOCE HUMANA (2014, 25mn), directed by Edoardo Ponti, which marks the occasion of her comeback to the movies. During the same evening Marriage Italian Style (Matrimonio all’italiana) by Vittorio De Sica (1964, 1h42) will be screened in 4K restoration by L’Immagine Ritrovata.
Sophia Loren has also accepted to give a masterclass—a conversation which will take place on the stage of Salle Buñuel.
PER UN PUGNO DI DOLLARI / A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS / POUR UNE POIGNEE DE DOLLARS by Sergio Leone (1964, 1h40)
To celebrate the birth in 1964 of the Italian western, the Cinematheque of Bologna will present the film restored in 4K by L’Immagine Ritrovata of A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS directed by Sergio Leone in 1964 with Clint Eastwood and Gian Maria Volonte.
The screening has been made possible by the right holders: the Paladino family and Unidis Jolly Film, which produced and distributed the film. Thanks to the Leone family.
- Thirty years old for PARIS, TEXAS by Wim Wenders (1984, 2h25)
Awarded by the President of the Jury Dirk Bogarde and handed out on stage by Faye Dunaway, the Palme d’or of Paris,Texas is thirty years old. Wim Wenders will be back on the Croisette (besides his selection at Un Certain Regard with THE SALT OF THE EARTH) with a new print of PARIS, TEXAS. After The Umbrellas of Cherbourgby Jacques Demy, Under the Sun of Satan by Maurice Pialat or The Leopard by Luchino Visconti, the Festival de Cannes shows restored copies of its Palmes d’or.
HD Transfer done at Deluxe Laboratory in New York, supervised by Wim Wenders, and Spirit Scan made at the German laboratory CinePost Production. Digital transfer made by Criterion.
REGARDS SUR UNE REVOLUTION : COMMENT YUKONG DEPLAÇA LES MONTAGNES by Marceline Loridan et Joris Ivens (1976, 1h11)
A presentation by Marceline Loridan and the Archives françaises du film of the CNC.
Digital restoration was carried out from the 2K scan of the 16mm negatives. Scans and restorations were carried out by the laboratory of CNC Bois d’Arcy. Coulor grading and finishes have been made by the Eclair laboratory.
CRUEL STORY OF YOUTH (SEISHUN ZANKOKU MONOGATARI) by Nagisa Oshima (1960, 1h32)
A presentation by Shochiku studio.
The digital restoration was performed in by 4K Shochiku Co., Ltd. under the supervision of Takashi Kawamata, cameraman of Nagisa Oshima. The film will be distributed in France by Carlotta.
- WOODEN CROSSES (LES CROIX DE BOIS) by Raymond Bernard (1931, 1h55)
Presented by Pathé and the Fondation Jérôme Seydoux – Pathé.
The film was scanned and restored in 4K by the laboratory L’Immagine Ritrovata Bologna. The restoration was carried out by Pathé.
- OVERLORD by Stuart Cooper (1975, 1h24)
A restoration presented by The Criterion Collection (New York).
HD Digital transfer supervised by director Stuart Cooper from a new 35mm fine-grain master. Mono sound now in 24 bits.
- LA PAURA / ANGST / LA PEUR by Roberto Rossellini (1954, 1h23)
Within the framework of the Rossellini project, a restoration made in 4K by L’Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna.
Cannes Classics has been welcoming since 2011 the ambitious Italian project, The Rossellini Project, from the collaboration between Instituto Luce Cinecittà, Cineteca di Bologna, CSC-Cineteca Nazionale and Coproduction Office (in charge of international sales). After presenting La Macchina Ammazzacattivi (La Machine à tuer les méchants, 1948) and Viaggio In Italia / Journey To Italy (Voyage en Italie, 1954), please findAngst / La Paura by Roberto Rossellini.
Print restaured by the Cineteca di Bologna with L’Immagine Ritrovata collaborating with the Istituto Luce Cinecittà, CSC-Cineteca Nazionale and Coproduction Office.
- BLIND CHANCE (PRZYPADEK) by Krzysztof Kieślowski (1981, 1h57)
A presentation by the Polish Film Institute.
Restoration carried out in 2K with the color framing supervised by the director of photography.
- THE LAST METRO (LE DERNIER METRO) by François Truffaut (1980, 2h21)
Presented by MK2 and the Cinémathèque française with the support of the French and American Fund on the occasion of the thirty years of François Truffaut’s passing away.
The original negative was scanned in 4K and restored frame by frame by 2K Digimage laboratory. Restoration and color framing were supervised by DP Guillaume Schiffman.
- DRAGON INN (龍門客棧) by King Hu (1967, 1h51)
A presentation of the Chinese Taipei Film Archive.
Digital restoration made in 4K by the L’Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna from the negative. The director of photography has supervsed the color framing.
- DAYBREAK (LE JOUR SE LEVE) by Marcel Carné (1939, 1h31)
Restoration 4K presented by Studio Canal.
Work on the images made by Eclair, sound restored by Diapason in partnership with Eclair.
COLOR OF THE POMEGRANATE (SAYAT NOVA) by Sergei Parajanov (1968, 1h17)
Restoration financed by the Film Foundation-World Cinema Project (New York) and made in 4K by L’immagine Ritrovata.
- LEOLO by Jean-Claude Lauzon (1992, 1h42)
A presentation of « Éléphant, mémoire du cinéma québécois. »
Digital restoration made in 2k from the original negative, sound restored by the Cinémathèque québécoise. Technical services: Technicolor, creative services: Marie-José Raymond et Robert Jacquier for Éléphant.
- GACIOUS LIVING (LA VIE DE CHATEAU) by Jean-Paul Rappeneau (1965, 1h30)
Presented by TF1 DA.
Film restored in 2K at Mikros from the original negative, with a restoration of the stock shots. Color framing realized in collaboration between Jean-Paul Rappeneau and Pierre Lhomme, director of photography. Restoration of Michel Legrand’s music by Stéphane Lerouge.
- JAMAICA INN (LA TAVERNE DE LA JAMAÏQUE) by Alfred Hitchcock (1939, 1h40)
A presentation of the Cohen Film Collection LLC.
Digital restoration made in 4K by 4K RRsat Europe – Ray King and Anthony Badger Finishing Post Productions Ltd – Jason Tufano and Marc Bijum.
- LES VIOLONS DU BAL by Michel Drach (1974, 1h44)
Restoration Silverway Média. Financing by Port-Royal Films with the CNC and the support of the Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah.
- BLUE MOUNTAINS (LES MONTAGNES BLEUES) by Eldar Shengelaia (1983, 1h31)
A presentation of the Georgian National Film Center.
The digitalization of the image and the sound was made from the original negative in 4K par Gosfilmfond Russia.
- LOST HORIZON (HORIZONS PERDUS) by Frank Capra (1937, 2h12)
A presentation of Park Circus in a digital print restored in 4k by Sony Pictures Colorworks. Park Circus will release the film in 2014.
THE BITCH (LA CHIENNE) by Jean Renoir (1939, 1h35)
Film presented by Les Films du Jeudi with the support of the CNC and the help of the Cinémathèque française and the Fonds Culturel Franco-Américain (DGA – MPA – SACEM – WGAW).
Restoration in 2K (from a 4K scan) made by Digimage Classics and sound restoration by Diapason.
TOKYO ORINPIKKU (TOKYO OLYMPIADES) by Kon Ichikawa (1965, 2h)
A presentation of the International Olympic Committee.
Digital restoration in 4K by Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging and Audio Mechanics at Burbank.
Also two documentaries about cinema:
LIFE ITSELF by Steve James (2014, 1h58): the life and journey of Roger Ebert, great American film critic.
THE GO-GO BOYS: THE INSIDE STORY OF CANNON FILMS by Hilla Medalia (2014, 1h30): the story of Cannon Films and the producers Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, who will be present.
At last 8½ (1963, 2h13) restored by Gaumont and Eclair will be screened as the opening film of the Cinéma de la plage to give an echo to the poster of the 67th Festival de Cannes and pay a tribute to Marcello Mastroianni.
The whole program of the Cinéma de la Plage will be announced later.