The Cannes Film Festival, renowned for launching auteur filmmakers, has witnessed many triumphs over the years. However, Guy Maddin, a celebrated filmmaker known for his unique and idiosyncratic style, had never graced the Cannes red carpet—until now.
Maddin’s Journey to Cannes
Despite accolades for his distinctive films like The Forbidden Room and The Saddest Music in the World, Maddin had yet to present a film at Cannes. His breakthrough came with Rumours, an absurdist political satire co-directed with Evan and Galen Johnson. The film features Oscar winners Cate Blanchett and Alicia Vikander and received backing from executive producer Ari Aster. This star-studded collaboration paved the way for Maddin’s Cannes debut.
“Once we got some legitimate Oscar-winning movie stars, and other movie stars that are amazing, all of a sudden Cannes cleaned its glasses off for a closer look,” Maddin told The Hollywood Reporter. The film will premiere on May 19 at the Lumière Theater and is scheduled for a Bleecker Street release later this year.
A Unique Filmmaking Style
Maddin’s four-decade career has often seen him working outside the mainstream, unlike fellow Canadian auteurs like Atom Egoyan and David Cronenberg. His distinctive style and experimental films, such as 2018’s The Green Fog, set him apart. This feature, created with the Johnsons, reimagined the classic Vertigo using clips from San Francisco-based films and TV shows.
Reflecting on his early career, Maddin noted, “I don’t think in the early days of my career I was making Cannes pictures, and history has changed a few things and maybe Cannes and I have met each other halfway.” Maddin’s evolution as a filmmaker has been marked by increasingly ambitious projects, and his collaboration with the Johnsons has accelerated this growth.
The Making of Rumours
Rumours, shot in Toronto, follows world leaders stranded in the woods during a G7 summit. The film’s ensemble cast includes Charles Dance, Roy Dupuis, Denis Ménochet, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Rolando Ravello, Takehiro Hira, and Triangle of Sadness star Zlatko Burić. Maddin expressed gratitude for the support of his cast, who will join him in Cannes to promote the film.
“In my earlier years, because I was just a low-budget auteur filmmaker, I found myself wishing that journalists wanted to speak to my actors, because they weren’t household names. They usually just wanted to speak to the author, if anyone at all,” Maddin recalled. The involvement of stars like Blanchett and Vikander has significantly elevated the film’s profile.
Blanchett’s Role in Rumours
Maddin’s connection with Blanchett dates back to the 2008 Sydney Film Festival, where she was head of the jury that screened his film My Winnipeg. Blanchett later named My Winnipeg as one of her Criterion Closet picks, which led to a meeting arranged by Aster. “We had a chat, I told her about my co-directors and she said OK. So it was pretty simple,” Maddin recounted.
Crafting the Script
Evan Johnson, who played a crucial role in developing the Rumours script with Maddin and Galen, highlighted the film’s comedic potential. The plot revolves around seven world leaders who must maintain their dignity while stranded in the woods, drafting a G7 statement amidst existential threats.
“One world leader alone is kind of funny, and you get two of them together and it’s a little bit funnier. But seven of them is a critical mass, it writes itself because that’s a lot of indignity crammed together in one place,” Johnson explained. The film adds dramatic and supernatural elements to heighten the stakes and challenge the bumbling politicians.
According Rumours, Guy Maddin continues to push his creative boundaries, proving that after nearly four decades in filmmaking, he remains a dynamic and evolving artist.
His long-awaited debut at Cannes marks a significant milestone in his career, made possible by his collaboration with Oscar-winning stars and talented co-directors. As Maddin steps onto the Cannes red carpet, he does so with a film that promises to captivate audiences with its unique blend of absurdity and satire.
The Information is Taken from Hollywood Reporter and CBC News
