Film show: Stars flock to Venice as film industry aims to return to normal

The 94th Academy Awards have whittled down their selection and announced the nominees for this year's Oscars. Film critic Lisa Nesselson considers the frontrunners and tells us why "The Power of the Dog" and "Dune" are competent, if curious, frontrunners.

French actress Isabelle Huppert has appeared in over 120 films and was just awarded a Golden Bear for lifetime achievement at the Berlin International Film Festival. FRANCE 24 film critic Lisa Nesselson speaks to Alison Sargent about Huppert's new film "Les Promesses", an involving and entertaining look at contemporary French politics. The thriller sees Huppert star alongside Reda Kateb as a mayor in suburban Paris forced to choose between personal ambition and loyalty to her working-class constituents.

Prolific actor Gérard Depardieu takes on the role of iconic French inspector Jules Maigret in Patrice Leconte's latest take. FRANCE 24's film critic Lisa Nesselson tells us why she thinks Depardieu was born to play this role.

She's called herself a "caretaker of memory". Zineb Sedira is as much an artist as she is a researcher, historian and filmmaker. The Franco-Algerian artist is representing France at the 59th Venice Biennale of contemporary art in April. She joins us in the studio to talk about the influence of Algerian activist cinema on her work. We also discuss how the war in Ukraine has jeopardised Pavlo Makov's participation in the Biennale, and she weighs in on the decision of Russian artists to boycott their own, state-sponsored pavilion.

She's called herself a "caretaker of memory". Zineb Sedira is as much an artist as she is a researcher, historian and filmmaker. The Franco-Algerian artist is representing France at the 59th Venice Biennale of contemporary art in April. She joins us in the studio to talk about the influence of Algerian activist cinema on her work. We also discuss how the war in Ukraine has jeopardised Pavlo Makov's participation in the Biennale, and she weighs in on the decision of Russian artists to boycott their own, state-sponsored pavilion.

Critic Lisa Nesselson speaks to Marjorie Hache about the latest on the big screen and streaming platforms. We begin with the new adaptation of French verse play "Cyrano de Bergerac". British director Joe Wright has made a musical version starring Peter Dinklage as the would-be suitor. We also discuss the new super villain "Morbius", as well as French film "Petite Nature" or "Softie", the story of a 10-year-old boy who has a crush on his teacher.

Film critic Lisa Nesselson speaks to Eve Jackson about the week's film news, including first-time director Omar El Zohairy's award-winning Egyptian feature "Plumes", or "Feathers". They also discuss iconic French director Cedric Klapisch’s ballet drama "En Corps", or "Rise", as well as Belgian director Fabrice Du Welz’s "Inexorable" and Jean Renoir's restored 1939 classic "The Rules of the Game".

Hot on the heels of the success of "Drive My Car" at the Academy Awards, Ryusuke Hamaguchi returns with a three-part feature that puts his talent for dialogue and visual storytelling in the spotlight. Lisa Nesselson extolls the charms of "Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy" and tells us why the prolific Japanese filmmaker should be receiving armfuls of awards in the years to come.

Thirty years after his first film "Man Bites Dog" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1992, André Bonzel’s poignant, personal documentary "Flickering Ghosts of Loves Gone By" is released on French screens. He joins us to talk about his love of archival footage and how a surprise phone call uncovered half-forgotten family memories and sparked a cinematic journey.

We take a look at Nicolas Cage's latest outing, in which he plays what he's called his most challenging role: himself. But first, as the 75th Cannes Film Festival reveals the jury members who'll be judging the features in competition, film critic Lisa Nesselson gives us her take on the personalities embarking upon that movie-watching marathon.

Director Philippe Azoulay joins us in the studio to talk about following Claude Lelouch, an adventure that resulted in a documentary portrait of the energetic French filmmaker entitled "Shoot or Die". Azoulay gives us an insight into the techniques Lelouch uses to elicit spontaneous and authentic performances, as the maker of "A Man and a Woman" racks up six decades in cinema.

Throughout history, Venetians have learned to live with high tides, known as acqua alta. But now, climate change is taking its toll on the ancient city, with flooding increasing in both frequency and intensity. Massive barriers, which temporarily separate the Venetian lagoon from the sea, have been designed to fend off the water. But they have also raised a difficult question: should Venice save itself or the lagoon’s fragile ecosystem?