The Best of Cannes at the NZ International Film Festival

REVIEW | ISSUE THIRTEEN | SPOOKY

Written by Caeden Tipler (they/them) | @ctipler | Contributing Writer

One of the great blessings of the timing of the New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) is how quickly we get to see films after their Cannes premieres. The iconic festival takes place each year in mid-May on the French Riviera, bringing together thousands of filmmakers, journalists, critics, celebrities, film lovers, and more. 

Each year has its own memorable moments and contributions to wider industry discourse, but this year felt especially interesting. While recent Oscar winners like Parasite (2019) and Anora (2024) came out of Cannes, there were some suggestions that this wasn’t as strong a year. There were no big Hollywood entries, many of the in-competition films and big winners were divisive, and the film market was quieter than usual. Artificial intelligence was also a hot topic, with Steven Soderbergh’s documentary John Lennon: The Last Interview premiering despite its controversial use of generative AI. 

Some of the most appreciated films came from out of competition, like Club Kid and Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, both of which premiered in the festival’s Un Certain Regard section. This might mean that Cannes isn’t dead, just shifting in its focus. 

New Zealand audiences get their first chance to make up their own minds when many of these films hit the mid-winter International Film Festival. While NZIFF had an excellent selection of Cannes titles this year, these are the five Cannes films that most excited me. All of them have upcoming wider release dates. Additionally, shout-out to my honourable mentions, La Gradiva and Coward, which was the closing film of the festival. 

Fjord 

Directed by Cristian Mungiu

Palme d’Or Winner

Norway

International Release Date TBC

Cristian Mungiu joined an elite club of filmmakers when he won his second Palme d’Or, the top prize at Cannes, for Fjord, an ethical-dilemma-driven drama aimed at challenging liberal norms of government. Fjord follows a conservative Christian family whose values are at odds with the society they are now living in. The family of seven recently moved to wife Lisbet’s (Renate Reinsve) hometown in Norway, where Romanian husband Mihai (Sebastian Stan) took up an IT job at the community centre. Their new life falls apart when the children are taken into custody on suspicion of child abuse, including the still breastfeeding infant. The film covers the stress of navigating hostile bureaucracy, cultural divides, and language barriers. It also calls for understanding and empathy from both sides of the progressive/conservative divide, particularly at a time of online polarisation and ubiquitous culture wars. The film is not without flaws. However, Palme d’Or winners often speak to current discourse, and Fjord is no exception. 

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma

Directed by Jane Schoenbrun

Queer Palm Winner

United States

International Release Date: 20 August

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma reels you in with one of the best title sequences in recent memory. The sequence traces the rise and fall of the in-universe Camp Miasma franchise through physical media, critical responses, and endless merch. A treat for any horror franchise fan or pop culture junkie. We follow our lead, up-and-coming indie director Kris (Hannah Einbinder), as she travels to the home of recluse former actress Billy Presley (Gillian Anderson). Kris is set to helm the latest relaunch of the franchise, and she wants Billy, who has been absent since the first film, to return. Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma is all about the desire and indulgence we associate with these kinds of tropey slasher films, whether that be sex, violence, or junk food. Not quite a meta-commentary on horror tropes, but more a commentary on how this kind of film connects with audiences. It’s not surprising that Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma won the Queer Palm, the independent award given to an acclaimed LGBTQIA+ film entered into Cannes. It explores queer identity, connection, and self-realisation through the lens of genre filmmaking. 

The Black Ball (La Bola Negra)

Directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi

Best Director

France/Spain 

International Release Date: 16 October

La Bola Negra should have won the Palme d’Or. The film won the Cannes award for Best Director (jointly with Pawel Pawlikowski) for the directing duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi (affectionately known as Los Javis). Thankfully, as it is worth seeing on the biggest screen possible, Netflix is firmly backing the film, giving it the distributor’s largest-ever theatrical release. La Bola Negra is epic in scale and ambition. It follows 85 years of Spanish history, from the rise of fascism in the 1930s to the queer social scene of the more-or-less present day. It weaves queer stories, romances, and histories through a multi-generational story that brings together the lives of several pivotal figures. While using poetic license, it is cemented in real history, and the real persecution of queer artists and figures under Spanish fascism. Shot in 35mm film by cinematographer Gris Jordana, the film’s mix of sweeping landscapes and well-lit intimate close-ups make it impossible to look away. It would be hard not to be moved by this film’s artistic achievement and unlocking of queer histories. 

Fatherland (Vaterland)

Directed by Pawel Pawlikowski 

Best Director

France/Germany/Italy/Poland 

International Release Date: 12 November

Sandra Hüller is having an excellent year. She earned praise for her performance in the sci-fi blockbuster Project Hail Mary and won the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance at the Berlinale for Rose. She’s also excellent as Erika Mann, opposite Hanns Zischler as her father Thomas Mann, in the biographical drama Fatherland. The film is rich in its history and politics, set in 1949 in a Germany divided between Western (largely American) and Soviet control. The Manns are in a difficult position; they left their homeland during the rise of the Nazi regime, put at risk by their outspoken views. Now they are accused of being traitors to Germany, forced to socialise with former-Nazis, and caught in the difficult position of having left-wing views while residing in America during the Cold War. If this set-up interests you, then you will love this film. Even if it doesn’t, the father-daughter relationship and broader family dynamics make for a fascinating character study. The tight 82-minute runtime means not a single scene is wasted, and every sequence has both leads at their strongest as actors. Notably, Pawel Pawlikowski received the Best Director award (jointly with the Los Javis), a recognition of the clarity of his direction. 

Hope (호프)

Directed by Na-Hong Jin 

South Korea

International Release Date: 10 September

A big-budget sci-fi monster movie seems like an odd choice to be in competition at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Frankly, it was, and many people have many questions about what that selection process looked like. The Cannes premiere was incredibly polarising – the film was praised for its high-energy and strong suspense-building, while criticised for its confusing plot, weak characters, and questionable CGI. It was also the New Zealand International Film Festival’s surprise screening (and worst-kept secret). Regardless of quality, it made for an excellent audience experience. There were screams, lots of laughter, and nervous chuckles, followed by thunderous applause as the credits rolled. I’d recommend going in as blind as possible, with as many friends as possible.