We got into Cannes! The news set off perhaps the most surreal six weeks of Walker's life. Preparing for Cannes is rarely a relaxed process for even the most veteran filmmakers. More editing, sound mixing or other last-minute tweaks are often needed. Sales meetings need to be lined up. A battalion of international journalists needs prepping for.
And then there's the looming pressure of one of the world's most famous red carpets. The whirlwind can be both discombobulating and thrilling for newcomers. As much as stars dominate the red carpet and renown auteurs parade through the Palais, Cannes has, year after year, been arguably the biggest stage for new directing talents to emerge.
Nearly 50 years ago, it was Martin Scorsese. Last year, Charlotte Wells "Aftersun" debuted as a major new voice.
This year, Walker is among the most promising new filmmakers in Cannes. Tara, like many male protagonists before her, wants to lose her virginity. Little is black and white in Tara's experiences, which are boozy, bewildering, isolating and devastating. For Walker, it's a profoundly personal story that partly draws from her own experiences, about which she's courageously frank. If so many people have experienced it, we should be talking about it openly.
Walker grew up in London and first fell into filmmaking by documenting her older brother's punk band. Her parents both wanted to be filmmakers and are still at it. Watching their movies not get made, she says, gave her her hustle. While Walker remembers them fondly "I've got some amazing pictures" , she began to question some of the things she saw. Walker made authenticity a priority.
