Friday, May 22, 2009

The Virtual Cannes Film Festival: Special Screenings

(All synopses from the official Cannes site.)

Ashes and Blood (Cendres et sang) (Fanny Ardant)

Exiled of her country since the murder of her husband ten years ago, Judith lives in Marseille with her three children. After having refused during years to see her family again and despite her fears and her secrets, Judith lets herself bend by her children’s desire and accepts the invitation at her cousin’s wedding. She takes her children to spend a summer back in the country, to discover their roots and their history. But Judith’s return revives old hatreds between rival clans. Unrelentingly, the spiral of violence's started, blood calling blood.





Jaffa (Karen Yedaya)

In the heart of Jaffa, a city nicknamed "the Bride of the Sea" by the Israelis, Reuven's garage is a family business. His daughter Mali and his son Meir, as well as Toufik and Hassan, a young Palestinian and his father, work there for Reuven. No one suspects that Mali and Toufik have been in love for years. As the two lovers are secretly making their wedding arrangements, tension builds between Meir and Toufik…



Manila (Adolfo Alix, Jr. and Raya Martin)

William, a drug addict, tries to reconnect his ties with people close to him. Slowly, as night falls, he learns that there is no one left to trust, not even his own self. Philip, who works as a bodyguard for a mayor's son, thinks his boss considers him family. After a shooting incident, he discovers his real worth to his boss. As he struggles to hide, he is slowly being consumed by the claws of darkness lurking the city. In between, Lav Diaz is shooting a romantic film.



Eye of the Storm (No Meu Lugar) (Eduardo Valente)

A police officer has to make a difficult decision when he sees himself caught up in a hostage situation in a middle-class home. His actions will deeply influence the lives of three families involved in the hold-up - including his own.

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