Cannes 2012: Resnais and Carax Defy Convention

The 2012 Cannes Film Festival lacked the discovery of new auteurs seen in 2011, but featured unexpected works from established directors Abbas Kiarostami, Hong Sang-Soo, and David Cronenberg. Most striking were French filmmakers Alain Resnais and Leos Carax, described as 'inactual, untimely, and critical.' Both adopt an Orphic posture, turning back time—Resnais revisiting Jean Anouilh's 'Eurydice' in 'You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet!' and Carax revisiting cinema history in 'Holy Motors.' Carax's film, a poetic ode to Paris, defies dominant narrative conventions and evokes Jean Vigo, Abel Gance, and Jean-Luc Godard. Its absence from the awards, alongside Michael Haneke's 'Amour' winning, signals a return to psychology in cinema. Dominique Païni writes.