ostland is a very provocative film—maker., really, all of his films are about putting a mirror in front of the audience and making us recognise ourselves. we watch people doing terrible things and think that we will never do that and then you realise, oh, iwould and i have. cannes is celebrating a big birthday this year, its 70th anniversary. from its inception just after world war two, it has grown to become what is generally regarded as the world's top film festival. talking movies has been looking back at cannes through the decades. cannes today, the mother of all film festivals. cannes in 1916, its first year in operation, bringing cinema of the day to festival—goers. cannes of the 19405 was very much associated with italian neorealism. one of the films in the first edition from 1916 was a rossellini film. the french critics were very enthusiastic about neorealists. the first few editions of the festival did a big part to put neorealism on the map. and who else would it be but that exotic queen of the screen sofia lorens