Nuri Bilge Ceylan's 'About Dry Grasses' competes in Cannes
Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan attends "SIF Forum: Golden Goblet MasterClass" during the 22nd Shanghai International Film Festival Shanghai, China, June 20, 2019. (Getty Images Photo)


A new film by acclaimed Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan, "About Dry Grasses," is being featured in the 76th Cannes Film Festival lineup.

The movie is among the 19 movies competing for the coveted Palme d’Or, the festival’s top prize. The plot revolves around a protagonist called Samet, who appears to be experiencing a challenging situation where he has lost his motivation to escape his current life, which he finds bleak and difficult to endure, following some unforeseen events.

The schedule for the festival includes Cannes-favorite directors such as Wes Anderson’s sci-fi homage "Asteroid City," Wim Wenders’ "Perfect Days," Ken Loach’s "The Old Oak," Italy’s director Nanni Moretti's "Il Sol Dell’Avvenire" ("The Sun of the Future") and Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda's "Monster."

There are a record six female directors in the competition, including France’s Catherine Breillat with "L’ete Dernier" ("Last Summer"), Austria’s Jessica Hausner with "Club Zero" and Italy's Alice Rohrwacher with "La Chimera."

The seaside cinema extravaganza in the south of France opens on May 16 with French director Maïwenn’s historical drama, "Jeanne du Barry," starring Johnny Depp as King Louis XV.

"Jeanne du Barry" has been billed as Depp’s comeback film following his explosive trial last year with Amber Heard, his ex-wife. After both Depp and Heard accused each other of physical and verbal abuse, a civil jury awarded Depp $10 million in damages and $2 million to Heard. In December, they reached a settlement.

Organizers previously announced that "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" and Martin Scorsese’s "Killers of the Flower Moon" will make their world premieres at the festival, which runs through May 27.