PSYCHIC WKW ON CANNES JURY

Cannes has developed a taste for splashy jury choices, with Quentin Tarantino bringing the most pizzazz to a Cannes jury in 2004 with the big prizes that year going to FARENHEIT 9/11 and OLDBOY, and 2006 looks to be no exception with Wong Kar-wai heading the jury. Cannes has been in love with WKW since AS TEARS GO BY screened there in 1989, and there have been cries that the festival extends latitude to him that it gives no other filmmaker (witness his last-minute shenanigans with 2046 in 2005).

Reportedly, WKW is a mutant with the special ability to telepathically control Gilles Jacob, the head of the Cannes Film Festival. When he was born his parents were very disappointed, having hoped that his mutant power might allow him to turn lead into gold, shoot ray beams out his eyes, or even use telepathy to control people who are not Gilles Jacob. "When life gives you lemons, very very slowly make lemonade," has always been the Wong Family motto and so WKW turned out to be an artfilm director and his telepathic influence over the influential Jacob has stood him in good stead over the years. "Knowing what we know now," says his proud father, "we wouldn't have picked another mutant power for the world."

WKW's official press quote is typical WKW:

""Each city has its own language. In Cannes, it is the language of dreams. Yet it is difficult to judge one's dream much less compare it to another. There is an old Chinese saying: One can never expect the wind, but should always keep one's window open. Along with my fellow jurors, I look forward to sharing the dreams created by some of the most gifted talents in contemporary cinema. And our goal will be to keep our windows open as wide as possible."

Awwww.....that's cute!

Also, MonkeyPeaches is reporting that WKW's next movie, THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI (with Nicole Kidman), is going to be shot by Darius Khondji (SEVEN, ALIEN RESURRECTION) rather than Chris Doyle.