Goldblum, Turturro and Rian Johnson set for Marrakech talks

By Tom Whitfield

The 23rd Marrakech Film Festival runs Nov. 20-28, with Jeff Goldblum, John Turturro and “Knives Out” director Rian Johnson among the figures set for its Conversations program.

The festival announced the participants and a separate set of honors on Monday. It will honor Goldblum, Turturro and Moroccan actor Younès Mégri. The announcement did not specify an honor category, ceremony date or selection process, and it gave no calendar year for the festival dates.

The Conversations lineup also includes actress Monica Bellucci; directors James Gray, Luca Guadagnino, Cristian Mungiu, Laïla Marrakchi, Xavier Dolan and Arthur Harari; and actor-director Gilles Lellouche. The festival did not publish individual session titles, schedules or venues.

The festival commented that the Conversations would:

“offer a comprehensive overview of the sensibilities that are shaping contemporary cinema. Whether in major Hollywood productions or deeply personal works, genre films or intimate narratives, their experiences reveal a wide range of approaches to depicting the world, examining society and moving audiences.”

The roster supports the festival’s breadth claim by joining actors, directors and an actor-director. It does not yet demonstrate the stated range of approaches, because the announcement gives no session titles or topics. That distinction matters: the announcement establishes who will appear, not what they will discuss.

The announcement cited Goldblum’s credits ranging from David Cronenberg’s “The Fly” to Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked.” Goldblum said:

“It is beyond a thrill and a privilege to be honored at the iconic Marrakech International Film Festival. What a captivating place! This glorious city with such deep roots in storytelling and craftsmanship! I feel wildly lucky indeed. It is truly a rapturous joy—and an adventure upon which I can’t wait to embark.”

His statement celebrates the festival, the city and the coming occasion. It does not explain the terms of the honor or his planned contribution.

The announcement also identified Turturro’s work in Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing” and the Coen brothers’ “The Big Lebowski.” He said:

“There is something particularly meaningful about having one’s work celebrated in a place with such a rich cultural history and such a deep appreciation for the art of storytelling. Cinema has a remarkable way of bringing us together, opening windows into other worlds and reminding us of our shared humanity.”

Turturro’s recent film, “The Only Living Pickpocket in New York,” will screen at the festival. The announcement gave no screening date, venue or confirmation that Turturro will appear with the film.

Mégri began his career as a singer and composer. He said:

“I did not leave music for film; I just switched instruments. This tribute in Marrakech tells me that the audience heard the same sincerity in both. That’s what moves me the most.”

The festival listed five international credits for Mégri:

• “The Miracles of Jesus” by Jean-Claude Bragard.
• “The Government Inspector” by Peter Kosminsky.
• “Laila, la pure” by Gabriel Axel.
• “David” by Robert Markowitz.
• “Marie de Nazareth” by Jean Delannoy.

The filmography supports the film side of Mégri’s account. The announcement does not identify any musical work connected to the tribute or the specific project for which the festival selected him.

What does the announcement change for festival audiences?

For festivalgoers, it supplies an 11-name roster for Conversations, three festival honorees and a confirmed screening of Turturro’s recent film. It does not yet settle how visitors can plan around the program. No session schedule, venue assignments, ticket conditions, honor categories or ceremony date appeared in the announcement.

The festival’s next test is whether it publishes a session schedule that turns its stated aim into specific conversations visitors can attend.