Kechiche's ‘Mektoub: Canto Due' Screened for Cannes — Will it Be A Late Addition?

Last time we had a film from Abdellatif Kechiche was in 2019, that’s when the 210-minute “Mektoub, My love: Intermezzo” shocked Cannes with its endless images of bare-butt twerking and graphic oral sex. The film has still not been released anywhere — it’s surrounded with controversy and in post-production hell for close to 6 years.

‘Intermezzo’ was the second of a planned trilogy of ‘Mektoub’ films. The third one, titled ‘Canto Due’ completed production in 2019. However, Kechiche's production company then became financially insolvent calling into question his ability to complete the post-production phase. He’s also a marked man who can’t seem to find financing for his next film.

And yet, here I am with the news that “Mektroub: Canto Due” was recently screened for the Cannes selection committee, a few days after the 2024 lineup was revealed. Not just that, it might possibly be announced as a late addition to the competition as a early as next week. Will it get in? That’s still left to be determined, but I’m hearing the film was well-received by Cannes boss Thierry Fremaux and his staff.

What’s keeping the film from potentially making its way into the Cannes lineup is Kechiche’s tarnished reputation, in some circles. This all comes down to whether or not Cannes wants to separate the art from the artist and showcase the former. If the film is great then why not?

Whether you like him or not, Kechiche is one of the best filmmakers working in France today. He’s always had a keen eye for dialogue and realism. He won the Palme d’Or in 2013 for “Blue is the Warmest Color” and some of his other remarkable films include “The Secret of the Grain” and “Black Venus.”

I was a fan of “Intermezzo” when I saw it at Cannes 2019, writing “212-minute cinematic revolution. It means to destroy our notion of what a movie should be in 2019 …"Intermezzo" is the darker, more ambitious companion to "Canto Uno." It can feel overwrought at times, but the urban naturalism Kechiche pushes for is damn-near breathtaking to behold.”

As you watch these Mektoub films, you do wonder how much of it is improvisation, how much of it is written dialogue and how much of it may very well have been actually experienced on camera. That blurring of the lines is absolutely fascinating to watch in this film.