Quinzaine des Cinéastes: Opening Ceremony and Butterfly Jam

The opening ceremony of Quinzaine des Cinéastes (Director’s Fortnight) at Théâtre Croisette proved to be one of the world’s premier viewing experiences to celebrate independent films, directors, actors, and dedicated fans who love the arts for its legacy and for its own sake. During the introduction, several speakers declared Quinzaine’s solidarity with diversity and representation; the opening speakers discussed the role of cinema as a microcosm of society that is important for us to nurture now and in the future, and they urged the significance of culture to the upcoming French elections in resistance to the far-right. Finally, Director Claire Denis was honored; she stated her gratitude for her career and shed light on the experiences of up-and-coming professionals through the emphasis on tax funding from movie ticket sales as integral to the promotion and survival of new film.

The cast of Kantemir Balagov’s Butterfly Jam stood up to be recognized, which included Barry Keoghan, Riley Keough, Harry Melling, Talha Akdogan, and Jaliyah Richards. The film centered the family life of Azik (Keoghan), his delicious Circassian delens (potato and cheese pies) made as an extension of himself, his “low life friends,” and his questionable decisions. It’s a family story that involves Azik’s sister Zalya (Keough), her hardworking hands, and her tender points of ethnographic reflection during her pregnancy. Azik’s son, Temir (Akdogan), tries to find his place in the world through wrestling, young love with Alika (Richards), and his attempt to heal his masculinity by, in a way, raising his own father. The film touches upon the delicate severance of self and unique connection rendered by migration and by the intergenerational lineage of newly formed ethnic communities across the world, in this case, particular to Newark, New Jersey. Balagov’s film demonstrates a slice of Circassian culture from the heart with him as a valued narrator through curated drama and visual style, intertwined with the family diner and street life and marked by grit, sweat, and sound.