Triumphant return to Valois for Descombes
Veteran Kanjorien director wins top prize at the festival with first Canrillaise-language film in fourteen years18 July 4738Octogenarian Kanjorien film director Marie Emilie Descombes has taken the Valois Film Festival by storm with her latest film
Judith Boucher. Across a 192-minute runtime, the film follows the title character, a woman from Descombes' hometown of Aubernesse, as she navigates significant events throughout her life. While the director insists the film was not intended to be autobiographical, she conceded that it drew on "a great deal of reflection on my own life". Not only did the film earn Descombes the festival's top prize the
Rose dorée (Golden Rose) but she was also awarded Best Director, a rare occasion on which both awards went to the same individual.
Above: Veteran filmmaker Marie Emilie Descombes on the Valois red carpet, the 4738 edition of the festival marks the seventh time one of her films has premiered at the festivalDescombes' return to the festival marks the end of an extended period away from the film industry. Despite winning multiple Academy Awards and achieving massive financial success in her early career, Descombes' later films received limited exposure. Following the box office failure of her Luthorian-language musical
A Little Song and Dance in 4726, she announced she was retiring from writing and directing. Although she has made small appearances in films since then,
Judith Boucher is her first major project in twelve years.
Elsewhere, Luciano Marzullo won the Best Actress award for her performance in
L'affare Scopelliti (
The Scopelliti Affair). The film marks her return to Istalian language filmmaking following an extended period making films primarily in Luthorian, as well as a reunion with director Rosalinda Gambetta, with whom she broke into mainstream success in the early 20s. Dramatising a well-known Istalian political scandal, the film had a mixed reception despite widespread acclaim for Marzullo's performance.
Best Actor was won by Jakanian newcomer Yurt Akyildiz for his performance in the crime thriller
Age of Horses, an international co-production between Jakania, Dorvik and Vanuku. Akyildiz became the first Jakanian to be recognised at a major festival since the incumbent Jakanian Premier Yilma Bal won Best Director at Valois for his documentary film
Nerede ve ne zaman (
Where and When).
Outside of the main competition, there was a strong crowd reaction to a collection of three films by the mysterious animation director known as 56 Moments. Two features films and a short film were premiered at the festival, each based around a different central character identified as being some form of social outcast. The films seem to have polarised audiences. The short in particular, entitled
No Hope, was criticised by many moviegoers for its seemingly sympathetic depiction of a man who commits an act of terrorism. On social media, 56 Moments responded that critics had misunderstood the film and that he was being unfairly targeted.
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