Netflix’s ‘Safe’ To Close Inaugural Canneseries TV Festival

Last year, cinephiles wrung their hands about what to do about television. As December rolled around, thinkpieces emerged defending placing David Lynch‘s eighteen episode “Twin Peaks” on the Best Film Of 2017 lists, as if a mere association with that rectangular box would sully his accomplishment. Even further back in the spring, Cannes Film Festival honcho Thierry Fremaux pushed back against the idea of film festivals including television in their lineup (even as he selected to screen two episodes of “Twin Peaks”).

“Cannes is a festival of cinema,” he sniffed. “TV series can also be cinematic but they’re also something else. Even at technical level a film festival is not the same as a festival dedicated to TV series’. Cannes is about cinema.”

Well, like a prophecy fulfilled, this spring will see the launch of the inaugural Canneseries which, as you might guess, is all about television. Organizers have announced today that Netflix‘s “Safe” will mark the Closing Night World Premiere event.

Created by crime novel author and showrunner Harlan Coben and written by screenwriter Danny Brocklehurst (“Shameless“), the 8-part series stars Michael C. Hall (“Dexter,” “Six Feet Under“), Audrey Fleurot (“A French Village,” “Spiral“), Amanda Abbington (“Sherlock“) and Emmet J. Scanlan (“The Fall“). And as you might guess from the man behind “Tell No One,” the story is eerie and uneasy. Here’s the synopsis:

Tom’s wife died a year ago and he’s bringing up his two daughters, living in a beautiful gated community, with close friends nearby and a new relationship starting. But when his eldest daughter disappears in mysterious circumstances he realises that in fact he knows nothing about the people closest to him – dark secrets about the people he loves and the place where he lives.
Partners, children, lovers, parents, friends – does anyone REALLY know the people they love?

“Safe” will launch on Netflix around the world in 2018, except in France where it will debut on C8.

Canneseries runs from April 4th to 11th.