The film ‘The Diary of a Chambermaid’, the latest feature film directed by Romanian auteur Radu Jude, has been included in the official selection of the 58th edition of the Director’s Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival, production company Avanpost reported on Tuesday.
The festival will take place May 12-23, and the Directors’ Fortnight selection comprises 18 feature films, according to Julien Rejl, artistic director of the section.
‘My new film, ‘Le Journal d’une femme de chambre’ (Diary of a Chambermaid), is neither an adaptation of Octave Mirbeau’s novel of the same name, nor a remake of any of the films (some made by great filmmakers, such as Luis Bunuel) that adapt the book. It’s more of a variation around some of the themes of the book – with the story focusing on the life of a young woman from Romania who works for a family in Bordeaux. It’s a film that mixes various themes – emigration, poverty, the relationship between East and West, the relationship between theatre, literature and cinema, etc. – all shot in a form that I want, if not original, at least unique, to the extent that it is designed specifically for this film only. I want to thank all the collaborators and especially the production house Avanpost, which made great efforts to ensure the local production of the film, given that the project was rejected at the competition of the National Filmmaking Centre,’ Jude is quoted as saying in an Avanpost press release.
The cast includes Ana Dumitrascu, Vincent Macaigne, Melanie Thierry, Amelie Prevot, Louve Proust, Louen Bouteiller, Ilinca Manolache, Sofia Ioana Dragoman, Liliana Ghita.
‘The Diary of a Chambermaid’ is an SBS production, co-produced by Avanpost.
The film is to be released in Romanian cinemas this year, being distributed by Independenta Film.
Jude has also been selected for the Berlin Film Festival with the short films ‘The Potemkinists’ (2022), ‘It Can Pass Through the Wall’ (2014) and ‘Shadow of a Cloud’ (2013). AGERPRES (RO – editing by: Petronius Craiu; EN – writing by: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu)
