Cannes Film Festival May 21 Report: They've Got the Blues

The Cannes Film Festival closing weekend begins today, marked by the announcement of the Palme d'Or (watch this spot for the winner) and the world premier of Chromophobia. Tonight will feature an evening outdoor screening of "Habana Blues," ("Havana Blues"). In this film, two Cuban musicians long to leave their world behind and pursue fame. Those hopes are complicated by their personal lives and issues. This movie has the distinction of being the final film presented for Un Certain Regard. Director Benito Zambrano said in a press conference: "I couldn't possibly deal with a story that would be a vague criticism of Cuban reality. There were already far too many foreigners who took the liberty of telling the Cubans what was right and what wasn't. I didn't want to be as presumptuous as them. That's also why I felt like writing a story which was based on concrete Cuban reality and then expanded into issues as universal as possible - and entertaining at the same time."
Here is an excerpt from the film:
Tito: Whose slaves are we here ?
Ruy: Nobody's. Our own.
Tito: F*** you, Ruy, Spare me your speeches. I'm sick of them.
Ruy: Man, we'll find a way.
Tito: I want out of here. I'm 28 and i've never been off this damn island!
Ruy: Easy, bro.
Tito: A whole month kissing their asses and right when we've got them you come along and screw it up. Then you go ahead.
Ruy: Go sign their damn contract if that's what you want.
Tito: Not without you, dickhead. You're coming with me!
Ruy: I don't want to go alone, dammit!
Also screening today:

• THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA by Tommy Lee JONES
• THREE TIMES by HOU Hsiao Hsien (In Competition)
• CHROMOPHOBIA by Martha FIENNES (Out of Competition)
• CIDADE BAIXA (LOWER CITY) by Sergio MACHADO (Un certain regard)
• CINEMA, ASPIRINAS E URUBUS (CINEMA, ASPIRINS AND VULTURES) by Marcelo GOMES (Un certain regard)
• DELWENDE by S. Pierre YAMEOGO (Un certain regard)
• DOWN IN THE VALLEY by DAVID JACOBSON (Un certain regard)
• ELI, ELI, LEMA SABACHTHANI? by Shinji AOYAMA (Un certain regard)
• FALSCHER BEKENNER (LOW PROFILE) by Christoph HOCHHÄUSLER (Un certain regard)
• HWAL (THE BOW) by Ki-duk KIM (Un certain regard)
• JEWBOY by Tony KRAWITZ (Un certain regard)
• JOHANNA (JOAN) by KORNÉL MUNDRUCZÓ (Un certain regard)
• LE FILMEUR by Alain CAVALIER (Un certain regard)
• LE TEMPS QUI RESTE by François OZON (Un certain regard)
• MAROCK by Laïla MARRAKCHI (Un certain regard)
• MOARTEA DOMNULUI LAZARESCU (THE DEATH OF MR. LAZARESCU) by Cristi PUIU (Un certain regard)
• NORDESTE by Juan SOLANAS (Un certain regard)
• SANGRE by Amat ESCALANTE (Un certain regard)
• SCHLÄFER (SLEEPER) by Benjamin HEISENBERG (Un certain regard)
• SULANGA ENU PINISA (THE FORSAKEN LAND) by Vimukthi JAYASUNDARA (Un certain regard)
• VOKSNE MENNESKER (DARK HORSE) by Dagur KÁRI (Un certain regard)
• YEK SHAB (ONE NIGHT) by Niki KARIMI (Un certain regard)
• ZIM AND CO by PIERRE JOLIVET (Un certain regard)

Don't miss out on the last day of the festival with my daily Cannes Film Festival 2005 Coverage. Tomorrow comes the closing ceremonies and a screening of all the films in the official selection.