News : 2 African films in the official competition at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival

The Cannes Film Festival has made public the official selection for its 74th edition. Many films from all over the world have been selected to participate in the different sections of the festival (Un Certain Regard, Quinzaine des Réalisateurs, etc.). And like every year, all eyes are on the films selected in the official competition, because it is this which gives access to the prestigious award of the festival: La Palme d’Or. This year, 23 films have been chosen to be part of this competition.

This year Africa is well represented in this competition with two films: Lingui by Chadian filmmaker Mahamat Saleh Haroun and Haut et Fort by Moroccan Nabil Ayouch.

With Lingui, Mahamat Saleh Haroun is once again in the race for the Palme d’Or, he who had already won the Cannes special jury prize in 2010 with his film Un homme Qui Cri. With this ninth film, the sixty-year-old filmmaker, the first Chadian filmmaker in history, once again explores Chadian society with its challenges, taboos and contradictions. Lingui tells the story of Amina, mother of teenage Maria (15), who got pregnant early. The unwanted pregnancy, she wants to get rid of it. Amina’s life becomes more complicated, in a country where social and religious matters have great influence and abortion is considered the ultimate sin and an act that the law condemns. The film takes place on the outskirts of N’Djaména. The cast includes Youssouf Djaoro (director’s favorite actor), Rihane Khalil Alio, Achouackh Abakar and many others.

“I am on cloud nine and above all I feel immense pride and immense happiness for the young actors in the film, for the team, for Moroccan cinema, for Morocco.“ It is in these terms that Nabil Ayouch, director of Haut et Fort, spoke at the microphone of Le 360 a few hours after the announcement of the selection of his film in the official competition of Cannes. Even if he is a regular at the Cannes festival, where he presented his film Les Chevaux de Dieu in the Un Certain Regard competition in 2012, the filmmaker does not hide his joy and satisfaction of being in this official selection. Haut et Fort tells the story of a former rapper working in a cultural center in a popular district of Casablanca. Encouraged by their new teacher, the young people will try to free themselves from the weight of certain traditions to live their passion and express themselves through the HIP HOP culture.

The Cannes Film Festival will take place from July 6 to 17, 2021 and we hope that one of these two films will win the Palme d’Or to the delight of film buffs and professionals on the continent.

Rostand Wandja