One of the films that’s been stirring up a fair amount of interest at Cannes is L’Inconnu du lac (Stranger by the Lake). Screening in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ segment of the festival, Alain Guiraudie’s film is a mix of very explicit sex, nihilistic thriller and arthouse drama. Reports suggest it got an extremely positive reaction at screenings, even though many have admitted its hardcore scenes will make it difficult to distribute.
The short synopsis from the Cannes website simply says, ‘Summertime. A cruising spot for men, tucked away on the shores of a lake. Franck falls in love with Michel. An attractive, potent and lethally dangerous man. Franck knows this, but wants to live out his passion anyway.’ That hints at the plot, which involves Franck witnessing Michel killing someone but telling nobody. He continues to pursue Michel, who holds him at arms length.
Take a look at a teaser for the film above (which you won’t be surprised to hear doesn’t feature any hardcore sexy, although it is a bit sexy). Hopefully its Cannes success will ensure this ‘porn noir’ gets better distribution than it might otherwise have had.
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