MEKTOUB MY LOVE: CANTO DUE

Once again, plot is not the central focus, although the narrative here has a more conventional structure. The film is created through an exploration of human relationships, using the same striking, immersive, and time-consuming cinematic language that feels uniquely Kechiche’s. The material was shot nearly ten years ago – and is finally presented here in completed form.

French-Tunisian director Abdellatif Kechiche is best known for Blue Is the Warmest Colour (2013), which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes. His ambitious and controversial Mektoub project has divided audiences. The first part, Canto Uno (2017), premiered in Venice and became a major talking point among critics and cinephiles. The interlude film Intermezzo (2019) was both a sensation and a scandal at its Cannes premiere. The director’s portrayal of sex in general, and one scene of unsimulated sex in particular, sparked debate – and a lack of funding meant that the film never received international distribution. Now Canto Due is here, and since its premiere in Locarno it has received much praise.

Kosmorama is screening Canto Uno and Canto Due, which stand well on their own without the interlude film, and after the two screenings there will be a discussion about the films and Kechiche.