Dreaming of Cannes

Every winter the entertainment news cycle fills with an endless drone of Oscars commentary about what people will wear, how the hosts will perform, and who will win. By the time the Academy Awards actually take place in late February there are rarely any surprises. There is something to be said about the Oscars; it is barely a murmur in the heart of the industry. The real rapidly beating industry pulse is happening right now in the south of France at the Cannes Film Festival.

 On the surface, Cannes seems similar to the Oscars. There is glamour, celebrities, red carpets, and exceptional films. But Cannes is so much more. Every inch of filmmaking and practically every country's film industry is represented. There are sleep-deprived journalists dishing out critiques and publicists trying hard to get any press coverage for a small foreign film. There are producers looking for their next project and unknown filmmakers pitching their stories to anyone who will listen. There are fans waiting for two hours in the blazing sun to see their favorite director’s latest work. This film haven is a thrilling experience to watch it all unfold.

I attended the 2009 festival through a program that gives film students unprecedented access to the festival through seminars, roundtable discussions, screenings, and a work placement. Without ever having done anything to really deserve being there, I found myself at the center of it all. Given this rare opportunity and surrounded by equally fervent fans, I took advantage of as much as I could.

I attended the premieres of films directed by Pedro Almodóvar, Ken Loach, and Jane Campion.  I sat in on talks with Terry Gilliam and Francis Ford Coppola. I saw Martin Scorsese and Thelma Schoonmaker introduce a newly restored version of The Red Shoes. I sought out movies that will likely never be released in the U.S. I watched the red carpet madness unfold almost every night. I waited ages in line to see Andrea Arnold’s Fish Tank and Jacques Audiard’s Un Prophète, two films that I now count among my favorites. And I did the one thing everyone loves to do at Cannes: I walked out of a movie.

This experience could not have occurred at a more crucial point in my life. At the time I was regretting my decision to study film and I was feeling an overwhelming sense of dread that my degree was not practical. I went to Cannes without knowing what I wanted to gain from the festival or even if I wanted to do anything with film period.

 It was at a screening of Michelangelo Antonioni’s L’Avventura that eventually pulled me out of my funk. With its stunning visual composition, L’Avventura is the kind of film that needs to be seen on the big screen. The 2009 festival poster is a still of the film’s gorgeous star Monica Vitti as she stands in a doorway. Towards the end of the movie, the image from the poster played out and the audience applauded. That is when it happened. I had never experienced anything like that before: an audience applauding one shot in the middle of a movie as if they were celebrating not only their appreciation for a great film but also for the festival itself. It was a brilliant moment.

The Cannes Film Festival cemented my undying love for the cinema and helped me forget my insecurities. More goes into making a movie than we often realize and Cannes is a reminder of what makes the cinema an utterly fascinating art form. Once I knew this magical place existed, there was no turning back. I discovered that I prefer the role of the observer and being privy to the small moments that happen in a dark movie theater. When I write about film that is what I hope to convey. 

This year’s festival has been underway for nearly a week and I dream of being there. Instead I am savoring every story I read and I am eagerly anticipating the reactions to many films like Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, Almodóvar’s The Skin I Live In, and Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life. Until I can return to Cannes, if I am so lucky, I am just an outsider looking in on the most thrilling two weeks the film industry can offer. 

Joanna writes regularly about film on her blog For Cinephiles by a Cinefille