"It's amusing and endearing that the French always find artists before we do, in literature, cinema and jazz, from a long time ago. This situation is always amusing to me," Allen said. He said his bringing the self-parodying French-connected film to debut at Cannes was purely coincidental. "But when I wrote the ending of the film, I did think it would be a good one to bring here," he said.
"I'm suppressing panic," said the well-known hypochondriac, talking about his feelings attending the giant film party. Allen said the reason he said yes to Cannes was as a reciprocal gesture to the French, who have welcomed and appreciated his films for many years.
Following his appearance at the Oscars two months ago, Allen seems to be changing his public profile, previously refusing to attend the Oscars or film festivals. "It's not a religion-changing gesture. ... In fact, I'm back in [Manhattan] in a few hours," he said.
A few of the films
Twenty-two films are vying for the Palme d'Or. Among them are three features from directors from the US, three from Britain and four from France.
The US films are:
-- Punchdrunk Knuckle Love, by 32-year-old US director Paul Thomas Anderson (who made Magnolia and Boogie Nights) and starring Adam Sandler.
-- About Schmidt, by Alexander Payne and starring Jack Nicholson.
-- Bowling for Columbine, by Michael Moore -- a documentary about gun violence in the US. The title refers to the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in which 12 people died.
The British films are:
-- All or Nothing, by Mike Leigh (who made Secrets and Lies and Naked).
-- 24 Hour Party People, by Michael Winterbottom (Welcome to Sarajevo).
-- Sweet Sixteen, by Ken Loach (The Navigators, My Name is Joe, and Land and Freedom).
The French films are:
-- L'adversaire (The Adversary), by Nicole Garcia.
-- Marie-Jo et ses deux amours, (Marie-Jo and Her Two Loves), by Robert Guediguian.
-- Demonlover, by Olivier Assayas.
-- Irreversible, by Argentinian-born French director Gaspard Noe.
Source: AFP
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