13/05/2009

Cannes 2009 – Jury Isabelle Huppert: "Between emotion and reflection" There was media excitement this afternoon on the Croisette at the press conference given by the competition jury at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival. President Isabelle Huppert partook in the Q&A session, flanked by the eight other jury members: Asia Argento, Robin Wright Penn, Sharmilla Tagore, Shu Qi, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, James Gray, Lee Chang-dong and Hanif Kureishi. Below are some chosen extracts.

The responsibility of judging
Isabelle Huppert : We’re not there to judge, but to enjoy the films and see which ones we enjoy most. It’s very difficult to explain why a work of art touches us. It’s a deep question. We’re going to try to put a bit of our soul in what we see.

Any instructions for the jury?
I.H: It’s not my intention to give any instructions. This definition of cinema will suffice: a humanist ambition, a window onto the world and, at the same time, an aesthetic project.

Are you an uncompromising or diplomatic president?
I. H: Diplomacy isn’t a word that inspires me a great deal. There may be disputes and disagreements. It’s a little like a chemical experiment: we’ll see when the time comes, there’ll be reactions we can’t predict. A film is not just about emotion but also reflection; it’s not something that should send viewers to sleep, but instead wake them up. I’ll make sure I situate myself between emotion and reflection. But we must remain humble, for festival history shows that we haven’t always accepted works at the time they were presented. We are who we are and we’ll do what we can.

Nuri Bilge Ceylan: I’m going to try to be sensible. At Cannes, we’re likely to see some very original films and they can sometimes seem boring. But films I’ve hated on a first viewing have then become references for me. So I’m not just going to listen to my heart, but also to my reason.

Asia Argento: I’m very intrigued. I wonder how we’re going to discuss the films. We’re going to share our opinions, but I’ll present my personal point of view.

James Gray: I don’t like judging other people’s work. It’s an arduous task. For me, what’s important is seeing 20 films in 10 days, like when I was 19. The judging is of secondary importance.

Hanif Kureishi: As artists, we don’t really like awards, except when we win one. This year, some major directors are in competition and I’m curious to see what they have to say about the world we live in.

(Translated from French)