13/05/2026

LYFE WEDNESDAY | MAY 13, 2026

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Cannes Film Festival: What to watch for o Big-budget Hollywood noticeably absent, diverse range of indies on display

T HE world’s most glamorous film festival has kicked off in Cannes, promising another action-packed fortnight of world premieres, star-studded red carpets, parties and fashion. AFP looks ahead at some of the most hotly anticipated moments and appearances: The main competition A total of 22 films are competing for the prestigious Palme d’Or for best film which will be handed out on May 23. Arthouse heavy-hitters such as Spain’s Pedro Almodovar, Japan’s Hirokazu Kore-eda or Romania’s Cristian Mungiu will be up against emerging talent such as Belgian prodigy Lukas Dhont and France’s Lea Mysius. There is industry buzz around Hope by South Korean director Na Hong-jin, starring real-life partners Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander, as well as artificial intelligence (AI)- and technology-themed Sheep in the Box by acclaimed Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda. The nine-person jury this year will be headed by South Korean director Park Chan-Wook but will also feature US celebrity Demi Moore, star of The Substance . Hollywood ghosting Unlike previous editions, which have featured Tom Cruise productions Mission: Impossible or Top Gun , no major US studios have chosen Cannes to launch a blockbuster. Hollywood has traditionally provided some razzle-dazzle and mass-market entertainment alongside the more edgy, independent cinema in the Cannes programme. Reasons for their absence include cost cutting, their growing preference for tightly controlled social media-led launches and the risk a mauling from the Cannes critics can doom a movie. Travolta One man not put off by the prospect of scrutiny from some of the most demanding crowds in the Moore is serving on the nine-person jury at the festival this year.

AI-created Lennon Director Steven Soderbergh will present his documentary John Lennon: The Last Interview, which features The Beatles songwriter hours before his murder. Soderbergh has turned the audio-only recording into a film, using archival pictures Zvyagintsev’s documentary is centred on Russia’s middle class grappling with army conscription for the ongoing Ukraine War.

The Palme d’Or is the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival. – PICS FROM AFP

as illustration and – very controversially – AI-generated images of the late singer. Best of the rest With war-hit Iran in the news, Rehearsals for a Revolution by Pegah Ahangarani, a film about political repression, appears timely. After a Nigerian movie

decorated independent directors Andrey Zvyagintsev will be celebrated for film and personal reasons. The Oscar-nominated director of Leviathan and Loveless nearly died due to Covid-19, spending months in hospital and fled his homeland after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. His first movie since 2017 is called Minotaur and tackles the hugely sensitive issue of the Russian bourgeoisie grappling with army conscription at the start of the Ukraine war.

film industry is movie legend John Travolta. The plane-mad actor will bring some serious stardust when he presents his directorial debut Propeller One-Way Night Coach about a young boy’s journey in the “golden age of aviation”. A-listers Other A-listers from around the world will descend on the Cannes red carpets, which will be some of the most celeb-heavy and fashion rich places on the planet for the next fortnight. Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver are set to promote Paper Tiger , a thriller by American director James Gray, while Bohemian Rhapsody star Rami Malek stars in The Man I Love by Ira Sachs. Spanish favourite Javier Bardem, Norwegian star Renate Reinsve, Kristen Stewart and Woody Harrelson are all featuring in films set to screen for the first time on the French Riviera. Julianne Moore and Cate Blanchett are also set to make appearances, while Barbra Streisand and Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson will pick up lifetime achievement awards. A Russian returns The appearance by one of Russia’s most

screened in a hallowed official slot at Cannes for the first time last year, twin brothers Arie and Chuko Esiri will represent Nollywood again when they show star-packed Clarissa . Picked in the Director’s Fortnight competition, it features The Bear star Ayo Edebiri and Selma actor David Oyelowo. The Godfather III and Ocean’s Eleven actor Andy Garcia presents Diamond , a “passion project” he has been working on for 15 years. The first film of a big-budget two-part French production on war-time hero and political colossus Charles de Gaulle will be a major event for the host country.

Lennon is the subject of Soderbergh’s documentary. – WIKIPEDIAPIC

Football There will be a surprising amount of football at the high temple of cinema, including a British made documentary Cantona about legendary French forward Eric Cantona. Argentine-made film The Match casts a spotlight on the notorious England-Argentina 1986 World Cup match settled by a goal awarded after a handball by Diego Maradona.

New Princess Diana documentary promises perspective in her own words A new documentary series based on hours of previously unreleased recordings made by Diana, the late Princess of Wales, is in the works, producers recently announced. reminder that things could have turned out differently.

“Through the tapes, we come to know a resilient, perceptive and relatable young woman, finding herself in the brightest of global spotlights and navigating the challenges with grace, self-awareness and determination.” Diana’s role in Britain’s storied monarchy is unparalleled. The sumptuous 1981 wedding between Diana and the future King Charles III was a global extravaganza of good will. But what followed quickly degenerated into a tabloid feeding frenzy as cracks appeared in the fairytale, with husband and wife seemingly seeking solace in the arms of others. Diana’s shocking 1997 death in a Paris tunnel in a car speeding away from paparazzi sparked a public backlash in Britain that rocked the monarchy and the media. The tapes, say producers, are a

“We hear her infectious humor and twinkling laughter, as she reveals the truth about life inside the most famous family in the world. But most importantly we hear her dreams for a future that could have been – a new chapter in which Charles goes off into the sunset with (future queen) Camilla, leaving Diana free to carve her own path,” the statement said. Charles and Camilla, who married in 2005, are wrapping up a state visit to the US, a visit that is being seen as a chance for London and Washington to move past a difficult few months. The documentary series will also incorporate the perspectives of Diana’s inner circle, including advisers, close friends, her hairdresser, her bodyguard and one-time royal press secretary Dickie Arbiter. – AFP

Diana: The Unheard Truth set for release in 2027 – 30 years after her death in a Paris car crash promises to tell the story of “the people’s princess” in her own words. Using five hours of conversations between Diana and her close confidante, surgeon Dr James Colthurst, the tapes formed the basis of Andrew Morton’s explosive 1992 book Diana: Her True Story . “This revelatory three-part docuseries restores authorship of one of the most scrutinised lives in modern history,” said a statement released recently by Love Monday TV, the production company behind the venture. It “will change public perception of Diana forever”.

A Madame Tussauds waxwork figure of Diana. – 123RFPIC