A year after Sofia Coppola‘s “The Bling Ring” opened Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival, the festival has chosen a French film whose title suggests a similar dynamic to open the section in 2014: “Party Girl.”
But “Party Girl” isn’t a look at celebrity-obsessed youth, the way Coppola’s film was; instead, the first feature from directors Marie Amachoukeli, Claire Burger and Samuel Theis focuses on a 60-year-old nightclub hostess who marries a longtime client because she’s afraid it’s time to end her partying ways.
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The lead role is played by the real-life woman on whom the movie is based.
In the words of the Cannes press release, “the film is a portrait of a free woman who has chosen to live on the margins of conventional society, and delves deep into a France that is often underrepresented.”
The three directors met at film school and have made a variety of shorts, including the Cesar-winning “C’est gratuit pour les filles.”
“Party Girl” will open Un Certain Regard on Thursday, May 15 one day after the festival itself opens with “Grace of Monaco.”
The rest of the Un Certain Regard program will be announced on April 17, along with the Cannes official selection.
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Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section typically focuses on first-time directors, or directors who are not as established as the ones who compete for the Palme d’Or. Recent films in the section have included Benh Zeitlin‘s “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” Rithy Panh’s “The Missing Picture” and Ryan Coogler‘s “Fruitvale Station.”
Argentinian director Pablo Trapero will serve as president of this year’s Un Certain Regard jury.