For the first time ever, filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard is being celebrated on the Croisette. The 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival pays tribute to his remarkable contributions by screening his latest documentary. The event grants the filmmaker, who so adeptly aligned himself with the ever-evolving times, a renewed sense of relevance, reminiscent of a captivating revival.
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Franco-Swiss filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard, who was born on December 3, 1930, and passed away on September 13, 2022, was a multifaceted creative force. Known for his roles as an author, director, screenwriter, editor, producer, film critic and theorist, he left an icredible mark on the world of cinema. His journey began in the 1950s as a film critic. Starting with short films, he eventially spread his wings and created his feature debut, “Breathless,” in 1959. With the success of this film, Godard established himself as one of the founders of the French New Wave movement. Films followed in quick succession, as he turned into a renowned director. Sidelined in 1968 with the May events, Godard made a comeback in 1980 with “Every Man for Himself” and reclaimed his place at the heart of cinema. Essay films, cinematic research, exhibitions, and writings solidified his status as a prominent and innovative filmmaker.
“The room is full. It means that the second life, or the thousandth life, of Jean-Luc Godard begins now, with the films that remain,” noted the Festival’s general delegate, Thierry Frémaux, in front of an audience that included filmmakers Jim Jarmush, Wang Bing and Salma Hayek.
In “Godard by Godard,” Florence Platarets returns to the life of the New Wave filmmaker through sometimes unseen images narrated without commentary. The self-portrait provided a unique opportunity to see Godard direct his first feature film, the decidedly innovative “Breathless.”
Moreover, in a sequence heartily applauded by the audience, the film revisits his return to the Croisette in May 1968. As France is rocked by social unrest, Godard leads a revolt of filmmakers that prematurely interrupts the Cannes Film Festival. Another memorable moment from the director at Cannes is when he won the Jury Prize in 2014 and a special Palme d’Or in 2018: in 1985, presenting his feature film “Detective,” he is hit in the face with a cream pie. This portrait was followed by a short film showcasing the final work of Godard under the title “Trailer for the Film That Will Never Exist: Strange Wars.”
The final project, a collage of a succession of images and words, interspersed with small video excerpts, was an adaptation of the novel by Belgian writer Charles Plisnier, “False Passports,” winner of the Goncourt Prize in 1937. This collection of short stories follows various characters between the October Revolution of 1917 in Russia and the 1930s.
Marie-Christine Tayah with AFP.
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