Cannes Classics 2007 is placed under the patronage of Andrzej Wajda, who is coming to introduce a restored copy of KANAL, winner of the Special Jury Award at Cannes in 1957 (50 years ago!). Jane Fonda will also be in Cannes to pay homage to her father, Henry Fonda, at the screening of Sydney Lumet's TWELVE ANGRY MEN (1957) on Saturday May 26th.


I. EVENTS

1. Birth of the World Cinema Foundation

Today, saving cinematographic heritage is a subject of particular importance in numerous countries, under the aegis of the International Federation of Film Archives. Every action counts, in particular for films that at times need particular support. An idea of Martin Scorsese, some film-makers have decided to put together, within the World Cinema Foundation, a non-profit organisation whose objective is to provide financial assistance for the preservation, restoration and broadcasting of films from all over the world, in particular the cinema of Africa, Latin America, Asia and Central Europe.

The World Cinema Foundation will be launched at Cannes during a press conference on 22 May, followed in the next few days by the introduction of three films supported by Walter Salles (Brazil), Cristi Puiu (Romania) and Martin Scorsese (USA).

TRANSES directed by Ahmed EL MAANOUNI (Morocco, 1981)
Restored by the Cineteca di Bologna
Introduced by Martin Scorsese

LIMIT directed by Mário PEIXOTO (Brazil, 1931)
Restored by the Cinemateca Brasileira, VideoFilmes, the Mario Peixoto Institute, with the participation of Arte France
Introduced by Walter Salles

PADUREA SPINZURATILOR (Forest of the Hanged) directed by Liviu CIULEI (Romania, 1964)
Restored by the National Film Archive of Romania
Introduced by Cristi Puiu

2. John Wayne Centenary

Born on 26 May 1907, John Wayne would have been 100 years old in 2007. Batjac Productions, John Wayne's production company, managed today by Gretchen Wayne, proposed to the Festival de Cannes to celebrate this centenary by showing two of John Wayne's films, out of the hundred or so that he made from the start of the 1920s with John Ford and Raoul Walsh up until The Shootist by Don Siegel in 1976.

HONDO (3D) directed by John FARROW (USA, 1953)
Film restored by Batjac Productions
Introduction by Gretchen Wayne.
Note that the screening will be in the original conditions, i.e., projected in 3D

RIO BRAVO directed by Howard HAWKS (USA, 1959)
Film restored by Warner Bros

3) Laurence Olivier Films William Shakespeare

Laurence Olivier, born on 22 May 1907, died 11 June 1979, devoted a large part of his stage career to William Shakespeare. When he became a screen actor he also directed three films of three famous works by the English playwright. This Shakespearian trilogy is presented by Granada International as digital screenings

HAMLET (Great Britain, 1948)
The film will be preceded by a Humphrey Jennings short documentary,

HENRY V (Great Britain, 1944)
Film restored by Granada International
Presented by Fiona Maxwell

RICHARD III (Great Britain, 1955)
Film restored by The Criterion Collection

WORDS FOR BATTLE (Great Britain, 1941), narrated by Lawrence Olivier (restored by the British Film Institute)
Film restored by Granada International
Presented by Fiona Maxwell


II. DOCUMENTARIES ON FILMMAKING

BRANDO directed by Leslie GREIF and Mimi FREEDMAN (USA, 2007)
A Greif Company / TCM

MAURICE PIALAT, L'AMOUR EXISTE directed by Anne-Marie FAUX and Jean-Pierre DEVILLERS (France, 2007) A Les Films du Worso

MAN OF CINEMA: PIERRE RISSIENT directed by Todd MCCARTHY (USA, 2007)
Deep Focus Productions

NEVER APOLOGIZE: A PERSONAL VISIT WITH LINDSAY ANDERSON directed by Mike KAPLAN (G.B., 2007) A Travis Productions / Circle Associates Ltd.


III. A SELECTION OF RESTORED FILMS AND NEW PRINTS

ISRAEL WHY directed by Claude LANZMANN (France, 1973)
Restoration: Why Not Productions

BOUND BY CHASTITY RULES directed by Shin SANG-OK (South Korea, 1962)
Restoration: Korean Film Archives

MY LAST MISTRESS directed by Sacha GUITRY (France, 1943)
Restoration: Cinémathèque française / Studio Canal

MIKEY & NICKY directed by Elaine MAY (USA, 1976)
New print: Carlotta Films

ESCAPE FROM YESTERDAY directed by Julien DUVIVIER (France, 1935)
Restoration: CNC - French Film Archives / SND

SUSPIRIA directed by Dario ARGENTO (Italy, 1977)
Restoration: Luciano Tovoli / Wildside Films

THE AVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED directed by Lotte REINIGER (Germany, 1926)
Restoration: Deustches Filmmuseum Frankfurt am Main

DRACULA directed by Terence FISHER (England, 1958)
Restoration: British Film Institute / Swashbuckler Films

YOYO directed by Pierre ETAIX
Restoration: Gan Foundation for Cinema