The Cannes Film Festival is now in its 70th year and is considered one of the most important events in the calendar for movie buffs and professionals in the film industry. Significantly, this year will also be the first time that a virtual reality (VR) film will be included in the festival line-up.
The VR entry is directed by Mexican director Alejandro G. Inarritu, who has previously been the recipient of Academy Awards for his films The Revenant and Birdman. His VR Cannes entry is titled Carne y Arena (Meat and Sand) which is an exploration of the experiences of immigrants and refugees. The official description is as follows:
“Based on true accounts, the superficial lines between subject and bystander are blurred and bound together, allowing individuals to walk in a vast space and thoroughly live a fragment of the refugees’ personal journeys. CARNE y ARENA employs the highest, never-before-used virtual technology to create a large, multi-narrative light space with human characters.”
Festival director Thierry Fremaux said it was: “A beautiful film, you are shivering when you come out of it.” and compared it to the innovations of the Lumiere Brothers, who are regarded by many as the fathers of cinema.
49 films are due to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival, which is set to take place from 17th-28th May in Cannes. Southern France. In a reflection of the changing world of film and television and the growth of technology, several of the films were funded by Amazon or Netflix, and television series such as the revival of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks will be previewed at the festival alongside movies.
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