Cannes-do Winnipeggers' Films Abroad – Winnipeg Free Press

Four Winnipeg filmmakers are the unexpected favorites of this year's Cannes Film Festival. They did this by letting Winnipeg-infused flags fly.

The 76th edition of the world's most famous film festival, which took place over the weekend in a resort town on the French Riviera, featured a star-studded premiere of the apocalyptic satire from fellow actors Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson. Rumor — on the heels of Matthew Rankin's second feature film, Universal language.

He likes it RumorFilmed in Hungary Universal language Filmed primarily in Winnipeg, Rankin confirms in an email interview from Cannes.

“It will be held from March 1-18, 2023 at many landmarks in my beloved city, including Fort St. Filmed in a single house at 130, Driftwood Apartments, Town 8 Cinema and Viscount Gort Hotel parking lot.”

Despite the familiar sites, the film depicts an alternate Winnipeg world where a growing Persian community has begun to leave an indelible mark on the city's culture. Rankin himself plays Matthew, a returning Winnipegger who was first alienated but eventually charmed by his hometown transformation.

The film allowed Rankin to pay personal tribute to the city.

“I tried to capture the Winnipeg I love most, its space and mood and absurdity, which owes a lot to the material remnants of the Steve Juba era that my late parents grew up in,” says Rankin. During the two-decade tenure of Mayor Stephen Juba between 1957 and 1977.

“I tried to capture the Winnipeg I love most, its spaces, its moods and its absurdities.”

Of two films Rumor — co-produced by Winnipeg's Buffalo Gal Pictures — has huge star power.

A fantasy tale of an apocalyptic G7 conference where world leaders are lost in a zombie-infested forest, the film stars Oscar winners Cate Blanchett and Alicia Vikander, as well as an international cast including Charles Dance, Nikki Amuka-Bird and Roy Dupuis. .

At a Cannes press conference the day after the film premiered, Maddin said, “It just happened by itself. We had written a few other scripts full of ideas that were stupid enough for 20 movies, but we kept throwing them away.

“He had the idea for G7 and it crumpled up and came out of the bin and demanded to be made as a movie.”

Maddin and the Johnson brothers were impressed by the “public face of the G7,” where “world leaders and their spouses greet each other regardless of ideology … even when one might declare war on the other.

“It struck us as a strange disconnect from what was going on in the world,” Maddin said.

For her part, Australian actress Blanchett said at a press conference that she has long wanted to work with Maddin and is a “huge fan.”

“Green mist I absolutely love and My Winnipeg one of my favorite movies of all time.” Narrow – said the star. “They always seem to be adventures in filmmaking, and they tell stories that cannot be told. I'm always gasping, laughing, dreading work, and cringing.

“As soon as I found out that Guy heard about me, I wanted to talk on the phone… It's like a first date. You already know if you sleep with creativity.”

While Rankin's largely Winnipeg-based creative team may have been relatively unknown at Cannes, Rankin was eager to film with them and help bring them to the international stage.

“It was a joy to work with some of my oldest and dearest colleagues, including the amazing art director Chad Giesbrecht and lighting genius Ryan Herdman, with whom I made my first films,” said Rankin.

“Even the great Lorne Bailey, whose films I've always loved, joined the crew as the best electrician, which was a real thrill for me. (Filmmakers) John Paskiewicz and Darryl Nepinak make cameo appearances in March Frost, with legendary River Heights filmmaker Dan Gerson directing the stills.

“All this was very important to me. Without these people, I wouldn't have gotten very far in life.”

Rankin also singled out the new generation of local filmmakers, Omid Moterassed, who “has worn many hats as co-producer, art department, day-to-day and spiritual leader,” and young actors Allan Weese and Gila Nagibzadeh.

“Our party was in the drinks room at the Woodbine Hotel,” added Rankin. “It was great.”

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according to Rumor At the press conference, Blanchett answered a nagging question about the film: What does the title mean?

“I confirmed something with Galen last night,” Blanchett explained. “It was weird that he never came out in rehearsal. Why is it called a movie? Rumor?

“My husband was like, 'Is that named after a Fleetwood Mac album?' said. Galen said so.”

“It was on the list of top 10 album titles and Rumor was there,” confirmed Galen Johnson, adding that the creation of the album was synchronized with the action of the film, which references past loves and one-night stands.

“The album was full of famous creativity. Everyone was sleeping with each other. So it was clear to us.”

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Both the films received a positive response in the critical circles.

His universal language, Steven Saito of Moving Feast wrote, “Amidst all the sights of buildings that have seen better days that still shape the city's skyline, Rankin looks to the ground to find where real growth can take place and sees something beautiful beginning to blossom.”

Inside the hollywood reporter Leslie Felperin said:Rumor This may be Maddin's most traditional film, or at least since then The saddest music in the world (2003). That is, a movie with heavily masturbating swamp zombies, a brain the size of a hatchback, and AI chatbots that kill pedophiles can be considered normal. Anyway, even if there are energy flags in the middle, it's something.”

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