War, murder and suicide were the themes at the Cannes Film Festival, sounding a sombre note on the first of 12 hectic days of competition, deal making and showbusiness excess. Kilometre Zero, directed by Iraqi-born Hiner Saleem, was a numbing portrayal of the horror of the country?s war with neighbouring Iran and the seemingly unbridgeable divide between its Kurdish and Arab populations that exists to this day. As a Kurd who fled his country aged 17, Saleem points a mocking finger at the brutal dictatorship of ousted leader Saddam Hussein, whose forces are blamed for chemical weapons attacks against the Kurds and other widespread abuses.

?Saddam is one of the film?s main characters,? Saleem said in his production notes. ?His presence haunts the film with his giant roadside portraits, his speeches on TV and radio, and above all, the imposing statue of him which seems to follow the character of Ako during his entire voyage.? Lemming, directed by France?s Dominik Moll and starring British actress Charlotte Rampling, told the tale of two couples whose paths cross, causing their lives to spin quickly out of control.

Dark Day

The films are among 21 entries in the main competition, and the sun-kissed Riviera resort has been frantically preparing for the arrival of thousands of fans, journalists and stars from around the world who have come to see and be seen. Hollywood royalty will grace the red carpet, and on Sunday the sixth and final instalment of George Lucas?s hugely successful Star Wars series gets its world premiere.

Moll conceded that Lemming was dark, but said there was enough humour to lighten the mood. ?It has a dark atmosphere, but I don?t see it as a pessimistic film,? he told reporters. The discovery of a lemming from Scandinavia in the drain below the kitchen sink in France had audiences laughing early on, but the chain of events it sets off turned nasty.

Rampling, who at 59 is still landing regular movie roles, described the pressure Hollywood puts on ageing stars to stay young as barbaric, adding that Europe treated them better. ?It?s a form of racism,? the iconic beauty told Reuters in an interview.

Previous Palme d?Or winners in the running in 2005 include Germany?s Wim Wenders, whose Don?t Come Knocking features a down-and-out Western hero looking for redemption, and American Gus Van Sant, who is back with Last Days. America?s Jim Jarmusch brings together an all-star cast including Bill Murray, Sharon Stone, Jessica Lange and Julie Delpy in Broken Flowers, which follows the resolutely single Don who goes out in search of a son he did not know he had. Other heavy-hitters include Canada?s David Cronenberg (A History of Violence), Denmark?s Lars von Trier (Manderlay), Israel?s Amos Gitai (Free Zone) and German-born Michael Haneke (Cache/Hidden). American veteran Woody Allen was expected in Cannes yesterday to present his Match Point, set among the English upper class and starring Scarlett Johansson.

Mike COLLETT-WHITE

Hot words and hot films

Away from the red carpets and beyond the yachts crowding the harbour next to the Cannes Film Festival, the following items were seen and heard:

● British actress Charlotte Rampling didn?t mince words at the press conference for the festival?s opening film ?Lemming?, candidly telling reporters what she thought of the treatment Hollywood studios give ageing actresses in the United States: ?The system in Europe is not as barbaric,? said Rampling, 59. ?If a woman has a few wrinkles there?s no reason to feel you should put her away. Thank goodness it?s different in Europe than in Hollywood.?

● According to trade magazine Screen International, director Stephen Frears plans to make ?The Queen?, a film set in the week between Princess Diana?s death in a Paris car crash and her funeral, which explores the relationship between British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the royal family. Actress Helen Mirren has been ?strongly tipped? to play Queen Elizabeth, Screen International adds. The film is likely to air on British television before hitting movie theatres in the rest of the world. One of the hottest films at the festival so far isn?t in the competition ? and not even finished yet.

● ?Real, The Movie?, a feature film mixing documentary-style footage of the Real Madrid soccer team with five fictional characters, had film buyers from around the world banging on the gates of the Spanish distributor at the Cannes film market, which runs in parallel to the festival. Work on the film had been kept secret until Tuesday.

Even though the film is still in post-production and won?t be released until July, there was a rush of interest from buyers and journalists alike trying to find out more about the film, featuring David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and Raul.