French director Assayas offers film on pasting time at Cannes

French director Olivier Assayas is back in competition for the Palme d'Or at the current 67th Cannes Film Festival, with the screening of his latest film Sils Maria (Clouds of Sils Maria) on Friday. After Les destinees sentimentales (Sentimental Destinies) in 2000, Demonlover in 2002 and Clean in 2004, Assayas this time looks at the subject of passing time and generational line. The film is telling the story of an actress, who is at the height of her art, retraces the successes she experienced when she was 18. At the peak of her career, Maria Enders, played by Juliette Binoche, is asked to perform in a revival of the play that made her famous 20 years ago when she played the role of Sigrid, an alluring young girl. But now she is being asked to step into the other role, that of the older Helena, according to the official synopsis. The sensitive actress began to wonder about her age for the first time in her life, a subject close to the heart of the director: the question of passing time. A total of 18 feature films have been selected in Competition for the Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) for the best film, the top prize of the international film gala. Friday is the final day for the screening of films in Competition. The winners will be announced on May 24, one day before the originally planned date due to the European Parliament elections on May 25.