Since he took over the most prominent parallel section of the Cannes Film Festival three years ago, the Quinzaine des cinéastes, formerly known as Quinzaine des réalisateurs, has both sharpened its profile as aplatform for cinematic discoveries and its status as a forum for prominent artists beyond the mainstream. Under the artistic direction of Julien Rejl, the Directors' Fortnight claims to strive to increase diversity and champion singular artistic voices, despite the omnipresent pressure of commercialization and uniformity. Before the opening ceremony initiates this year's edition, Julien Rejl sat down with Lidanoir to talk about Cannes' conflicting impulses of artistic equality and economic elitism, the dynamic between the festival's different sections, and what makes this year's program unique.