"60 years of reaching for the moon in the infinite galaxy of cinema"

60 years exactly, and as spry as ever. On this anniversary edition, La Semaine de la Critique is as vibrant as it ever was, holding on tight to that quest for new, different perspectives after these unnerving few months. We couldn’t resist celebrating the talent and drive of the sexy sixties by focusing on the last decade, so as to keep a connection with yesterday’s gifts to better welcome what tomorrow will bring: the prospect of emerging talents that drive us onward. And since we love it so much, let’s open our arms to the various craftspeople that make cinema a reality, to collect their testimonies, pictures and faces. If cinema is a window to the world, the exhilarating specificity of our selection is not only that it propels new talents with promising perspectives, but that it also conveys our unrelenting, profound love for this artform that brings us together and fills the very air we breathe. Supporting filmmakers has become the DNA of La Semaine. A common drive made manifest in this landmark event through the works and people that bear witness to a shared experience. 

Revisiting the talents that we revealed or confirmed over the last ten years is another opportunity to share our delight in witnessing live the universe shudder and, together, to walk down paths that have been left untread. Because selecting emerging talents is electrifying. Films, personalities and critics work hand in hand. Generosity bolstered by conviction. This whirlwind of reunions is certainly a climax in writing the ongoing history of La Semaine de la Critique. Interviews of artists, sequences commented by their makers, various filmmakers’ testimonies, short videos and texts by critics. It is a generous, varied feast of rare flavours. Undeniably, each and every one of these artists works towards a unique goal: sharing their irrepressible, enthusiastic pursuit of art and human experience. A powerfully stirring mission that connects our keen minds and our emotions. 1962-2021: 60 years of reaching for the moon in the infinite galaxy of cinema.

Happy birthday La Semaine!

Olivier Pélisson
Editor-in-Chief
60 years onward