New Book about Cannes Film Fest at 80! (May 2027)
Alambrista! (1978), US
2. Northern Lights (1979), US
3. Adrien’s Story (1980), French
4. Desperado City (1981), West German
5. Half a Life (1982), French
6. The Princess (1983), Hungarian
7. Stranger Than Paradise (1984), US
8. Oriana (1985), Venezuela
9. Noir et Blanc (1986), French (woman)
10. Robinsonada or My English Grandfather (1987), Soviet-Georgian
11. Salaam Bombay! (1988), US-Imndoa (woman)
12. My 20th Century (1989), Hungary (woman)
13. Freeze Die Come to Life (1990)
14. Toto the Hero (1991), Belgium
15. Mac (1992), US
16. The Scent of Green Papaya (1993), Vietnam
17. Coming to Terms with the Dead (1994)
18. The White Balloon (1995), Iran
19. Love Serenade (1996), Australia (woman)
20. Suzaku (1997)
21. Slam (1998), US
22. Marana Simhasanam (1999), Iran
23. Tie
Djomeh (2000)
A Time for Drunken Horses (2000)
24. Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (2001), Canadian
25. Seaside (2002)
26. Reconstruction (2003), Denmark
27. Or (My Treasure) (2004), Israel (woman)
28. Tie
Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005), US (woman); The Forsaken Land (2005)
30. 12:08 East of Bucharest (2006), Romania
31. Jellyfish (2007), Israel (woman)
32. Hunger (2008), UK (Black)
33. Samson and Delilah (2009)
34. Año bisiesto (Leap Year) (2010), Mexico
35. Las Acacias (2011), Argentine
36. Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012), US
37. Ilo Ilo (2013)
38. Party Girl (2014)
39. Land and Shade (2015), Colombia
40. Divines (2016)
41. Montparnasse Bienvenue (2017), French
42. Girl (2018), Belgium (Gay director)
43. Our Mothers (2019), Guatamala
44. Murina (2021)
45. War Pony (2022), US (woman)
46. Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell (2023)
47. Armand (2024)
48. The President’s Cake (2025)
49. ? (to be announced May 24, 2026)
César Augusto Acevedo wrote and directed Land and Shade (Spanish: La tierra y la sombra), which screened in the Critics’ Week section at the 2015 Cannes Film Fest, where it won the Caméra d’Or.
It is a co-production between Colombia, France, the Netherlands, Chile and Brazil.
After absence of 17 years, Alfonso an elderly farmer, returns to the home he abandoned due to his only son suffering from serious illness. Upon arriving, he finds that everything he once knew has vanished–the monoculture of sugarcane has destroyed all the farms in the region.
The only thing that remains unchanged, just as he remembered it, is his old home, a humble white house and the small bench under the shade of the old saman tree. Alfonso must confront the reality that he returns as a strangeras his family stopped waiting for him long ago.
His return reignites old passions and resentments by Alicia, his ex-wife, who has always refused to leave her property, even though an invisible threat now weaves through the sugarcane fields, with signs of destruction and death.
Realizing that his entire family is at great risk, Alfonso tries to reach them before it’s too late, doing everything he can to save them—even if it means erasing traces of his existence.
The charactyers’ story, memory, and identity are on the brink of disappearing under the weight of a paradoxical notion of progress. It seems that only great sacrifice will offer them the chance to reconcile and begin anew.
The film is composed of striking images, but Acevedo’s deliberate pacing and brutal depiction of hardship made it hard to watch
A haunting allegory, the film is defined by dark interiors, with occasional use of beams of light to illuminate the characters’ personas.
Cast
Haimer Leal as Alfonso
Hilda Ruiz as Alicia
Edison Raigosa as Geraldo
Marleyda Soto as Esperanza
Felipe Cárdenas as Manuel
New Book about Cannes Film Fest at 80! (May 2027)
Alambrista! (1978), US
2. Northern Lights (1979), US
3. Adrien’s Story (1980), French
4. Desperado City (1981), West German
5. Half a Life (1982), French
6. The Princess (1983), Hungarian
7. Stranger Than Paradise (1984), US
8. Oriana (1985), Venezuela
9. Noir et Blanc (1986), French (woman)
10. Robinsonada or My English Grandfather (1987), Soviet-Georgian
11. Salaam Bombay! (1988), US-Imndoa (woman)
12. My 20th Century (1989), Hungary (woman)
13. Freeze Die Come to Life (1990)
14. Toto the Hero (1991), Belgium
15. Mac (1992), US
16. The Scent of Green Papaya (1993), Vietnam
17. Coming to Terms with the Dead (1994)
18. The White Balloon (1995), Iran
19. Love Serenade (1996), Australia (woman)
20. Suzaku (1997)
21. Slam (1998), US
22. Marana Simhasanam (1999), Iran
23. Tie
Djomeh (2000)
A Time for Drunken Horses (2000)
24. Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (2001), Canadian
25. Seaside (2002)
26. Reconstruction (2003), Denmark
27. Or (My Treasure) (2004), Israel (woman)
28. Tie
Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005), US (woman); The Forsaken Land (2005)
30. 12:08 East of Bucharest (2006), Romania
31. Jellyfish (2007), Israel (woman)
32. Hunger (2008), UK (Black)
33. Samson and Delilah (2009)
34. Año bisiesto (Leap Year) (2010), Mexico
35. Las Acacias (2011), Argentine
36. Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012), US
37. Ilo Ilo (2013)
38. Party Girl (2014)
39. Land and Shade (2015), Colombia
40. Divines (2016)
41. Montparnasse Bienvenue (2017), French
42. Girl (2018), Belgium (Gay director)
43. Our Mothers (2019), Guatamala
44. Murina (2021)
45. War Pony (2022), US (woman)
46. Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell (2023)
47. Armand (2024)
48. The President’s Cake (2025)
49. ? (to be announced May 24, 2026)
