Cannes 2022: AR Rahman's directorial debut ‘Le Musk’ to premiere at festival's XR program

Music maestro AR Rahman's directorial debut film Le Musk will have its world premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Market's Cannes XR programme. Starring Nora Arnezeder and Guy Burnet in pivotal roles, the 36-minute film will provide a 'cinematic sensory experience incorporating virtual reality, with motion, music and scent integrated into the narrative', according to Variety. 

Le Musk's story has been developed by Rahman from an idea concocted by his wife Saira. It follows an heiress and musician named  Juliet Merdinian, who, after 20 years since she was orphaned, embarks on finding the men who changed her destiny with just the memory of their scent. 

AR Rahman's directorial debut  Le Musk to premiere at Cannes 2022

Rahman is also behind the film's music score, while Gurachi Phoenix has penned the screenplay. It also stars Munirih Grace and Mariam Zohrabyan in important roles. According to the publication, the Grammy winner spoke about his project, which has been 'several years in the making' with worldwide collaborators. 

Talking about the vision behind the project, he said, "Creating a feature-length cinema VR experience that pushes boundaries of storytelling and incorporates multiple senses was a guiding force for me. Aroma and music together bring warm memories subjectively for the audience."

Army of the Dead star Nora Arnezeder also spoke about the film's 'beautiful journey' which aided her in finding 'artistic expression'. With Le Musk, Nora stated that they've found a 'new, expansive frontier in storytelling' where senses are at the forefront. "This film is an experience unlike any other,” she added. 

Le Musk was shot in Rome, on 14 different cameras for ensuring 'super-resolution quality video'. It has been bankrolled by Rahman’s ARR Studios along with Ideal Entertainment and Intel. Thenandal Studio and Palani Andavar Holdings are onboard as associate producers.

Meanwhile, Rahman will be attending Cannes 2022 alongside the trail of Indian celebrities and artists including Ricky Kej, Mame Khan, Prasoon Joshi, R Madhavan and Shekhar Kapur among others. Stars like Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Nayanthara, Pooja Hegde, and Tamannaah Bhatia will also be walking the red carpet. Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur will be heading the Indian contingent. 

(IMAGE: INSTAGRAM/ @LEMUSKFILM/ PTI)