Issue 1 of
Fidback, the film journal edited by the FIDMarseille festival, with a a look back at the 35th edition of the festival, a focus on films that made waves on the global cinema scene in 2024, a carte blanche to
Clara Schulmann, and a portrait: of the artist and filmmaker Declan Clarke by Alice Leroy.
A look back at six films from the official FID selection, explored by authors, critics, and writers from both French-speaking and international backgrounds. The critical texts are accompanied by interviews, documents, or previously unpublished materials. From Amsevrid, the remarkable debut film by Algerian filmmaker Tahar Kessi, to Tríptico de Mondongo by the Argentine maestro Mariano Llinás, this bouquet of films offers a distilled snapshot of the 2024 edition of the festival—just a handful among many that would have deserved revisiting.
The selection of eight films, for which we invited authors to share their insights, is itself a critical gesture. We felt that the latest films by Albert Serra, Miguel Gomes, Alain Guiraudie, Jia Zhangke, and Victor Iriarte particularly warranted inclusion in the long-form timeline of the journal. Restored films, edited writings, retrospectives, and an exhibition at the
Jeu de Paume: for many, Chantal Akerman was a revelation this year. Naked Acts, the rediscovered film by Bridgett Davis, left a lasting impression on those fortunate enough to see it.
For her carte blanche, Clara Schulmann chose the film Lucciole (2021) by Pauline Curnier Jardin. But her text goes beyond the film itself, transforming critical commentary into a speculative narrative on how a life and a body of work are woven together through places, stories, and people.
Alice Leroy is the first to write a portrait of Irish and Berlin-based artist and filmmaker Declan Clarke: to take the measure, to map out the contours of a major—though still underrecognized—body of work in contemporary cinema.
