The Belgian co-production 'Enzo, the final film by French director Laurent Cantet - co-created with Robin Campillo - stirred deep emotions during its screening on Wednesday evening as it opened the Director’s Fortnight at Cannes.
Robin Campillo, present with the entire crew, openly shared his emotions. “Laurent would have been very proud," he said. "We worked on this film while he was ill. When Laurent passed away, we chose to embrace life for him. The film then progressed with a spirit of joy and happiness.”
The feature film follows Enzo, a young apprentice mason in La Ciotat. Pressured by his father to pursue higher education, Enzo seeks to escape the comfortable yet stifling environment of his family home and discovers new possibilities on construction sites, particularly through his interaction with Vlad, a Ukrainian colleague.
Featuring young, unknown actors alongside Elodie Bouchez and Pierfrancesco Favino, 'Enzo' is co-produced by Les Films du Fleuve, the production company of the Dardenne brothers.
Robin Campillo took over his late friend’s last project, continuing their collaboration beyond death. Campillo had previously edited six of Cantet’s films and co-written five, marking a long-standing friendship.
“When Laurent learned of his cancer, we decided to renew our collaboration so I could assist him in all phases of the film’s creation,” Campillo explained. “His health suddenly worsened just weeks before filming, so with Laurent, his partner Isabelle, and producer Marie-Ange Luciani, we decided to continue the project."
"However, ‘Enzo’ remains Laurent’s film, his vision of human conflicts,” Campillo concluded.
The Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Festival aims to highlight the work of young filmmakers and honour the creations of established directors.
