Todd Haynes will make his first visit to Lyon’s Lumière Film Festival, joining Robert Eggers, Zhang Ziyi and Tsui Hark at the classic film gathering’s now 18th edition.
Three-time best actress Oscar winner Frances McDormand, a longtime collaborator of the Coen brothers, will join Joel and Ethan Coen in Lyon, where they will receive this year’s Lumière Award for lifetime achievement.
The festival puts the big-screen experience at the heart of its program, giving restored classics and new releases equal billing. Haynes arrives with longtime producer Christine Vachon to deliver a masterclass and present restorations of his Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner “Poison” (1991) and “Safe” (1995).
László Nemes, whose debut “Son of Saul” (2015) won the then foreign-language film Oscar, brings fellow Cannes competition entry “Moulin.” Christophe Honoré’s “Mariage au goût d’orange” and Daniel Auteuil’s “La Troisième nuit” also arrive from Cannes. Lee Chang-dong’s Venice entry “Possible Love” and Guillaume Canet’s “Karma” further bolster the previews.
“From the beginning, we wanted no separation between films of the past and new films, because they are all part of cinema history,” Arnaud said. “Being part of a festival that celebrates that history means something special to filmmakers. They know it will be an important promotion for the film. We’re very proud of having achieved that harmony.”
Television also finds a place: Bérénice Bejo and Irène Jacob will present the opening episodes of “Alice,” Virginie Verrier and Guillaume Lonergan’s series about pioneering filmmaker Alice Guy, in which they both star.
Bérénice Béjo in ‘Alice’
Bérénice Bejo stars in ‘Alice: Pioneer of Cinema’ Credit: Caroline Dubois/SND/Wildbunch/France Télévisions
The tributes also give older films a fresh theatrical life. Only two titles in the 12-film Norman Jewison retrospective were initially available digitally with French subtitles, Arnaud said. U.S. studios and repertory distributor Park Circus helped supply new screening materials, making the films available to theaters across France.
Some 180 restoration submissions brought discoveries including titles less familiar internationally, such as Brazil’s “L’Ivrogne” (Gilda de Abreu, 1946) and Croatia’s “Rondo” (Zvonimir Berković, 1966).
Warner Bros.’ production and distribution label Clockwork is also digging into its catalogue with a 4K restoration of Ken Russell’s provocative historical drama “The Devils” (1971).
“The idea is to exhume from their catalogue not only the big classics, but also these unusual films, and bring them back to audiences,” Arnaud said. “It’s an important investment to present another face of their catalogue.”
Selected restorations receive the festival’s Lumière Classics label. “The Lumière Classics label is increasingly recognised, not just in France, but also internationally,” Arnaud said. “Being a successful festival matters because it helps preserve film heritage around the world.”
Other retrospectives revisit Ettore Scola and Louis Daquin, while the “Trésors et curiosités” section offers a mix of rarities, rediscoveries and established classics, such as Croatia’s “Rondo” or Josef von Sternberg’s “Shanghaï Express” (1931). With Greece among the countries honored at the International Classic Film Market, Lumière will revisit the golden age of Greek cinema.
The Lumière Festival runs Oct. 10-18 in Lyon.
Zhang Ziyi in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”
