Roman Polanski Set for Return to Cannes with ‘Based on a True Story’

Roman Polanski’s latest film has been added to this year’s lineup at the Cannes Film Festival, marking the first time since 2013 that the exiled director’s work will be presented at the festival.

D’après une histoire vraie (Based on a True Story) will screen out of competition at the 70th annual edition of the prestigious French film festival, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The film — starring Eva Green, Emmanuelle Seigner, and Vincent Perez — centers on a writer who must deal with an obsessive fan after the release of her latest book.

Polanski’s film is among a half-dozen new titles added to the official Cannes lineup Thursday, including Ruben Ostlund’s The Square, which will vie for the festival’s top prize, the Palme d’Or, with four other contenders.

The announcement of the addition comes as Polanski lost a bid this month to resolve his decades-old conviction for the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl in 1977. The 83-year-old director had attempted to return to the United States after decades of living in exile in Europe, where he fled in 1978 after his conviction.

Cannes organizers could face public backlash over their decision to include Polanski’s film; in January, the Oscar-winning director stepped down from his role as president of the César Awards — the French equivalent of the Oscars — after women protested his appointment.

Polanski’s last film to screen at the festival was La Venus a la Fourrure (Venus in Fur), a sexually-charged dramedy that screened in competition at the festival. That film also starred Seigner, Polanski’s wife.

 

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