The Cannes Film Festival’s out-of-competition lineup featured the premiere of Petite Amie. This marks Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn’s first feature-length project since 2016 and a poignant return to the French Riviera.
Refn’s previous work, The Neon Demon starring Elle Fanning, was showcased in the festival’s main competition in 2016. Petite Amie unfolds within a surreal and perilous futuristic landscape, following a young woman named Elle (Sophie Thatcher) as she searches for her father, while another protagonist (Charles Melton) fights to rescue his young daughter from a personal hell.
“I would argue that this film defies genre. We inhabit a world obsessed with categorization, which facilitates the rapid consumption and disposal of content without any true contemplation or reflection. I find that deeply flawed. Many critics take issue with my storytelling methods, but I believe I excel at them—it is what it is. I have no interest in chasing what is deemed ‘acceptable’ or ‘unacceptable.’ We must evolve, expand our consciousness, break free, and embrace transformation. That is how humanity progresses,” the director remarked.
The inspiration for Petite Amie was deeply personal, stemming from Refn’s battle with a severe heart condition and a near-death experience, which served as the catalyst for the film’s narrative. Overcome with emotion during the press conference, the director was moved to tears.
“I was told that I might die, and if I survived, my future was uncertain. Following the surgery, I realized I had lived for 50 years and might only have another 25 left. Time is everything. The ability to share creativity with an audience is pure gold. I have been granted a second chance, and I intend to make the most of it by creating something meaningful,” Refn added.
Petite Amie will be distributed in Russia by Exponenta.
Photo: Getty