Celebrating the 60th Cannes Anniversairy

Star: Sirius (Canis Majoris Constellation)

Mood: Exhausted

Song: Night in the City * Joni Mitchell

The Cannes Film Festival was an experience for me. Actually Cannes in itself is an experience.

We went there to promote Arab Films just like we did in Berlin. Our line-up included the festival-awarded films Rome Rather Than You (Algeria), Falafel (Lebanon), Tender Is the Wolf (Tunisia), the Sundance documentary selection Kahloucha: Tarzan of the Arabs (Tunisia) as well as the two brand new Moroccan films Where Are You Going Moshe and Women on the Road.

We had a stand at the main Film Market which has always been full with visitors, including interested festival directors, vendors and buyers. It was an extremely fruitful experience for our team. (Picture of the Med-Screen stand in the Palais)

But Cannes isn’t only about working. It’s about Films. I saw a nice selection which you will read in tomorrow’s post.

So it’s too much people, too many stars, too much work, too many films, too much glitter. Oh yes. Too much glitter!

For the 7:30 and 10:00 PM official selection screenings, everyone would be fully dressed on the Croisette, women in full make up with glowing dresses and men in the unmistakable yet obligatory tuxedo.

And those who can’t make it to the screening have to pave a tiny territory to take a glimpse at whoever is walking on the Red Carpet.
The world wide premiere of Ocean’s 13 was hysteric, considering the pleiade of international stars to walk on the prestigious carpet in front of more than 500 professional and amateur lenses. From the cast which included Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Matt Damon to the invitees Angelina Jolie (coming to support her husband), Kylie Minogue and Timbaland, everyone was there.

This photo is of my beautiful boss and me at the Red Carpet before the screening of Alexander Sokurov’s Alexandra (my favorite film in the festival).

For the other films in which no tickets are required, you had to wait in line, an hour before the screening, under a burning sun. And what a line it was. The same crowd for a French film or a South Korean one. All screenings were full, and many do not have the chance to enter.

To be able to see Nadine Labaki’s film Caramel, screened at the Directors’ Fortnight, I had to wait from 6:10 PM to 8:00. This Lebanese feature film has long been awaited since Labaki is a prominent video-clips director in Lebanon and throughout the Arab World. A 10-minute standing ovation followed the screening after which the film was sold to more than 33 countries! An unexpected immediate success for the film! (Photo shows Labaki (left) and her cast, at the Cannes Premiere of Caramel).

Then you had the every-night parties on the luxurious yachts, the crystalline beach securing topless blondes on its hot sand, the Haagen-Dazs ice cream and the 8 Euro chocolate crepes as well as an extensive line-up of expensive shops at the Croisette.
It’s as glamorous as you can imagine. (Picture of myself and my wonderful friend Nadine (ex-wife!!!) at the Turkish Pavillion facing the beach)

Not even the most luminous star in our night sky, Sirius, can compete with all the sensational glitter emanating from the Red Carpet. Sirius, a winter showstopper star in the Greater Dog constellation shines at a -1.4 magnitude, making it the brightest star after the Sun. Its striking white color sometimes converts itself to embrace the colors of the rainbow. An absolute highlight.

Sometimes it’s better to watch Sirius in winter. It reminds you that Cannes in coming soon!