Cannes Competition Entry ‘The Story of My Wife,’ Starring Lea Seydoux, Debuts Trailer (EXCLUSIVE)

Bruno Dumont’s peculiar blend of the transcendental with a clumsy kind of realism was a natural fit to “Jeannette” and “Joan of Arc,” both films dealing with the same presumed miracle — an ordinary little girl claiming to be guided by Saints.

A man asks the first woman who enters the room to marry him and then is surprised to find she does not respect him. This sums up “The Story of My Wife” from Hungarian director Ildikó Enyedi, playing in Competition at this year’s Festival de Cannes.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentRobert Lantos’ Serendipity Point Films (“Crimes Of The Future”) and Beta Film (“Gomorrah,” “Babylon Berlin”) are joining forces on “Rise of the Raven” (working title), a big-budget epic drama series about Janos Hunyadi, a fearless warrior who defeated the vast Ottoman army and defended Europe in 1456 at the Battle of Belgrade.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefSpecialty U.S. distribution company KimStim is to give a North American release to “Wood and Water,” a German-made feature set against the backdrop of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong.The film premiered in the Deutsche Perspektive section of this year’s erlinaleand won the Compass-Perspektive Award special mention during the Berlin festival’s summer edition.

In Arnaud Desplechin’s “Deception” (“Tromperie”), one character’s husband is described as “passionate about dazzling, interesting women.” In this adaptation of Philip Roth’s novel of the same name, one can’t help but wish the director shared the character’s interest.

As we’ve noted in the last two weeks of this ongoing Cannes Film Festival, Léa Seydoux is the belle of the ball, and she has four films playing at Cannes, three of them in competition.

Since his 2008 debut film, Passion, Japanese director/writer Ryusuke Hamaguchi has been continuing to make an impact on the world cinema scene. His success at various festivals includes 2018, when he was first in competition in Cannes with Asako I & II, and earlier this year at the 2021 Berlin Film Festival, where his Wheel Of Fortune And Fantasy won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentMadrid-based Avalon is transforming from a prestige producer-distributor into an industrial force.Founded by CEO Stefan Schmitz in 1996, Avalon has carved a reputation most recently for producing and releasing in Spain Carla Simon’s “Summer 1993,” a Berlin 2017 First Feature Award winner.

Lea Seydoux may not be going to the Cannes Film Festival this year.

Lea Seydoux is supposed to be the toast of this year’s Cannes Film Festival with four films, including three in competition. But sources say that the French star may cancel her trip to the South of France after testing positive for Covid.Seydoux has not made the trip to Cannes yet; she’s currently on the production of a film during which contracted Covid.

Take a moment and imagine living in West Germany in July 1969. Like many around the world, you’re sitting in front of a television watching Neil Armstrong as he takes “a giant leap for mankind” by stepping on the moon.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentMadrid-based Latido Films has sold a slew of major territories on its banner titles, including Cannes Directors’ Fortnight player “The Employer and the Employee,” Berlin winner “The Fam,” village crime drama “The Replacement” and auteur genre movie “Baby.”Chalking up its first major sale, Uruguayan Manuel Nieto’s “The Employer and the Employee” has closed France with Eurozoom.

Ed Meza @edmezavarGerman co-productions are making a strong showing at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, among them Leos Carax’s opening film, “Annette,” Wes Anderson’s star-studded “The French Dispatch” and Hungarian director Ildikó Enyedi’s “The Story of My Wife.”Fabian Gasmia’s Berlin-based Detailfilm is among the producers on “Annette,” which stars Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentParis-Based Loco Films has boarded “The Business Women’s Club,” the next film from Brazilian writer-director Anna MuylaertMuylaert’s “The Second Mother” won a 2015 Sundance Grand Jury Prize and a Berlin Panorama Audience Award, and it notched up fulsome sales for the Match Factory.“The Business Women’s Club” will be introduced to buyers at this week’s Cannes Film Market by Loco Films’ head Laurent Danielou.Channeling Mulaert’s keen sense of social

Christopher Vourlias French distributor ARP has acquired the rights to “Fools,” an upcoming drama by Berlinale Silver Bear winner Tomasz Wasilewski (“United States of Love”). Jan Naszewski’s Warsaw-based sales outlet New Europe Film Sales brokered the deal.“Fools” is the story of Marlena and Tomasz, who are hidden away from the world in a small seaside town and have been in a happy relationship for many years.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“Many people changed their minds at the last minute and decided to come to Cannes,” said Jerome Paillard, executive manager of the Cannes Market, the business wing of the Cannes Film Festival. Those that did will have access to a large volume of new films making their market premieres.Paillard explained that the pre-Cannes online market held two weeks ago was necessary because it filled the gap between Berlin and Cannes.

Israeli writer/director Nadav Lapid has been on the international radar for quite some time, 2011’s “Policeman” made international waves, and 2014’s ‘The Kindergarten Teacher” was so well regarded, Hollywood, Netflix, and Maggie Gyllenhaal made a remake in 2018. But things started to really take off for Lapid after “Synonyms” won the Golden Bear award at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2019 and introduced most of the world to breakout star Tom Mercier.

Hungarian director Ildikó Enyedi has already won at the Cannes Film Festival once already: the Golden Camera award for her 1989 feature film debut “My 20th Century.” Now, Enyedi vies for the Palme d’Or as her latest film, “The Story Of My Wife,” has its world premiere in competition at Cannes this week.

Whoever “wins” the Cannes Film Festival this year, French actress Léa Seydoux will certainly be up there regardless if she takes home any awards or not.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorDocumentary “The Most Beautiful Boy in the World,” about the teenage actor in Luchino Visconti’s “Death in Venice,” has been sold to numerous territories by Berlin-based sales agency Films Boutique.The Swedish film, directed by Kristina Lindström and Kristian Petri, premiered in Sundance in the World Cinema Documentary Competition.