Claude Miller's last film to close Cannes festival

Claude Miller's last film, "Therese Desqueyroux", which was in post-production when the French filmmaker died this month, is to close the Cannes festival in May, organisers said Wednesday. Adapted from the novel by the same name by French writer Francois Mauriac, the film starring Audrey Tautou will be screened out of competition at the close of the 65th Festival de Cannes on May 27, a statement said. Miller died of a long illness on April 4, aged 70, shortly after finishing the edit of the film, according to the festival, which described it as "the final piece in his immense body of work". Considered one of France's greatest directors, with works including "The Best Way to Walk" and "Class Trip", Miller learned his craft with some of the giants of French cinema including New Wave icons Jean Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut. "By dedicating the closing night to him, the Festival de Cannes, along with his family, friends, producers, and distributers, is very pleased to pay tribute to the memory of Claude Miller," the organisers said. The Cannes festival is to announce the 20-odd films in its official competition at a press conference in Paris on Thursday, with just under a month to go until the world's top movie showcase opens on May 16.