With the Cannes Film Festival just around the corner, two high-profile projects have the movie world abuzz lately. Asghar Farhadi will direct a star-studded cast in “Parallel Tales,” while Or Sinai’s “Mama” secures a place in the festival’s Special Screenings. Both films reflect a vibrant collaboration among international filmmakers and showcase the diverse storytelling present at this year’s event.
“Parallel Tales” stars celebrated actors Isabelle Huppert, Virginie Efira, Vincent Cassel, Pierre Niney and Adam Bessa. The film’s cast will be headlined by Evgenia Dodina, whose outstanding performance is among the most to look forward. Along with Michelle Yeoh, the film stars Arkadiusz Jakubik, Katarzyna Lubik, and Dominika Bednarczyk among many others to create a collective narrative tapestry. With Farhadi in the directing chair, viewers can anticipate a gripping narrative that explores the depths of the human psyche.
Adi Bar Yossef takes Parallel Tales to another dimension, making another important addition to his discography. Bar Yossef has served as cinematographer on numerous award winning feature documentaries including “The Little Things,” “Four Mothers,” and “Incoming Call.” He was most recently an associate producer on the Jerusalem 2021 feature “Cinema Sabaya.” The co-production brings together Bar Yossef’s Israeli outfit Baryo with Poland’s Morefilm and Italy’s Intramovies. Bellevue Productions is just a wonderful representation of the optimistic, collaborative energy among filmmakers of all nationalities.
“Mama” Takes Center Stage
Or Sinai’s film “Mama” has been selected for Special Screenings in Cannes’ Official Selection. Most significantly, it is the only Israeli title on this year’s festival slate. Sinai is a graduate of Sam Spiegel Film and Television School in Jerusalem. He has garnered buzz for his past works, most recently winning the Cannes Cinefondation prize for his 2016 short film “Anna.” On top of that, he won the Israeli Film Academy’s best short prize for the same project.
Intramovies has closed world sales rights to “Mama,” excluding Israel and Poland. The film’s selection for the highly esteemed festival emphasizes its importance in representing Israeli cinema on a global platform. 2023 Cannes Film Festival, May 13-24, www.cannescamera.org It provides an extraordinary launching pad for first-time and experienced filmmakers alike to debut their films.
A Bright Future Ahead
Both “Parallel Tales” and “Mama,” shine through this emerging wave of collaborative filmmakers pushing and honing their craft with each film they work on. The presence of such distinguished directors, actors and actresses, and engaged crews behind the camera emphasizes the passion for storytelling that connects with audiences at home and abroad. With the festival just around the corner, we can’t wait to see these films take flight and see how audiences and critics respond to them.