CANNES FILM FESTIVAL - CANNES' EYES WIDE OPEN FOR BLINDNESS

For only the second time in the 61-year history of the Cannes Film Festival, a Canadian film has been selected as the opening-night film. Blindness, directed by Fernando Meirelles (City of God) will kick off the 12-day festival on May 14. The film features an international cast, including Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo and Danny Glover of the U.S.; Gael Garcia Bernal of Mexico; Sandra Oh of Canada; and Yusuke Iseya of Japan. It concerns an international epidemic that causes blindness in its victims. (Many of the actors wore contact lenses that blocked their vision.) The Toronto Star reported today (Tuesday) that the film will also compete for the festival's Palme d'Or prize, unusual for an opening-night movie. (It was not among those on th e list of competition films released by the festival last week.) Blindness is the first Canadian film to open the prestigious festival since Fantastica, from Quebec director Gilles Carle, did so in 1980.

29/04/2008