The selection acknowledges a diverse array of projects from both Arab and international talent, including established auteurs and emerging creatives who have received support from the Institute.
The 77th Cannes Film Festival, which will run from May 14 to 25, has selected six films supported by the Doha Film Institute. Upholding its tradition of supporting diverse and impactful cinema, DFI celebrates the inclusion of its latest co-financed project, Rendez-vous avec Pol Pot (Meeting with Pol Pot) by Cambodian director Rithy Panh, in the Cannes Premiere section of the Official Selection.
The DFI Grants programme contributes to the global cinematic landscape with a range of projects, including three features in the parallel section of Critics’ Week (Semaine de la Critique) and two in Director’s Fortnight (Quinzaine des cinéastes).
Co-financed by DFI, Rendez-vous avec Pol Pot (France, Cambodia, Taiwan, Qatar, Turkiye) by filmmaker Rithy Panh draws from personal experiences to revive unrecorded memories of Cambodia. The film follows three French journalists invited to Cambodia by the Khmer Rouge in 1978 to meet with Pol Pot.
For Critics’ Week, The Brink of Dreams (Egypt, France, Denmark, Saudi Arabia, Qatar) by Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir portrays Coptic girls forming an all-female street theatre troupe; Locust (Taiwan, France, USA, Qatar) by KEFF explores injustice in everyday life; and Across The Sea (Morocco, France, Belgium, Qatar) by Saïd Hamich Benlarbi follows Nour, an illegal immigrant in Marseille.
In Director’s Fortnight, East of Noon (Egypt, Netherlands, Qatar) by Hala Elkoussy depicts musician Abdo’s rebellion through art; and To a Land Unknown (Palestine, UK, Greece, Netherlands, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Qatar) by Mahdi Fleifel follows Palestinian cousins seeking escape.
Three DFI-supported projects will participate in industry platforms at Cannes: The Myth of Mahmoud (Palestine, USA, Lebanon, Kenya, Yemen, Jordan, Qatar) by Mayar Hamdan & Shaima Al Tamimi and My Father’s House by Mahdi Fleifel in Cannes Docs; and L’Mina (Morocco, France, Qatar, Italy) by Randa Maroufi in the Focus Work in Progress section.
Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Chief Executive Officer of DFI, said: “Once again, the eclectic selection of DFI-backed projects selected at Cannes this year demonstrates the Institute’s commitment to support compelling voices and powerful stories that have the potential to shape world cinema. We are honoured to partner with internationally renowned creative visionaries and emerging talent from the Arab world and beyond to offer a captivating window into different cultures and perspectives to foster a sense of global unity.
“I am especially proud that celebrated auteur and DFI’s long-term mentor and collaborator Rithy Panh’s new film will premiere at the prestigious festival. Rithy’s films offer creative cinematic representations of significant social and historical events that forever changed our world, and his unbounded passion for storytelling with rare and striking authority, portrayed in Rendez-vous avec Pol Pot, an important and timely film will resonate with all.”
