Johnny Depp Returns to San Sebastián with Modi – Three Days on the Wing of Madness
Johnny Depp will bring his second feature as a director to the San Sebastián International Film Festival, presented out of competition. Modi – Three Days on the Wing of Madness centers on a pivotal moment in the life of the artist Amedeo Modigliani, offering a cinematic glimpse into the Paris of 1916 during the thick of World War I. The film, Depp’s sophomore director’s project after The Brave (1997), will debut in the festival’s Official Selection, but out of the competitive section.
The cast is led by Italian actor Riccardo Scamarcio in the role of Modigliani, supported by a lineup that includes Al Pacino, Stephen Graham, and Antonia Desplat. The narrative focuses on a specific episode from Modigliani’s journey in Paris, weaving through the artist’s encounters, struggles, and the era’s artistic ferment that defined a generation of painters and writers.
In addition to Depp’s entry, the festival has announced a special presentation that spotlights a different strand of cinema. Lumière, l’aventure continue, directed by Thierry Frémaux, is a continuation of Lumière, l’aventure commence. This extension explores the universe of cinema creators who shaped the medium, a project Frémaux began filming in 2016 and presented at San Sebastián in 2017.
Two new titles join the New Directors section, crafted by Swiss filmmaker Piet Baumgartner and Danish director Sylvia Le Fanu. Baumgartner’s Bagger Drama follows a family whose stability unravels after the accidental death of a member. Baumgartner has previously directed shorts such as Allen Werden, Elite, and Inland, and he made his feature debut in 2023 with the documentary The Driven Ones, which competed at the Zurich Film Festival. Le Fanu unveils her first feature, My Eternal Summer, a coming-of-age drama about a 15-year-old girl who must say farewell to her terminally ill mother during the summer break. Le Fanu’s background includes presenting shorts at Clermont-Ferrand, Indy Shorts, and Odense, among others.
With these two new titles, twelve films compete in the New Directors section, each vying for a prize of 50,000 euros. The festival’s programming continues to showcase a diverse slate of emerging voices from across Europe and beyond, reinforcing San Sebastián’s role as a showcase for contemporary cinema and a launchpad for promising directors.
Citation: The information reflects official festival announcements and program notes as reported by festival communications and press materials at the time of publication.