Cannes Par Jour: A Blog

Day 1

By Courtesy of Festival de Cannes

There is very little one can do to be fully prepared for his or her first Cannes. Already in two days here (I was so busy getting acquainted with the festival I neglected to write an entry yesterday), I have been given a crash course in the strange customs, traditions, and gossips that make this nearly two-week celebration of all things cinema the legendary event it is. Here, I will be giving the stories and personal thoughts about the events I attend and the films I review (make sure to read those as well).

I arrived in Cannes late Tuesday night, by train from the Nice Airport. I promptly got lost on the way to my Airbnb, but ran into a few young Moroccan guys who gave me a lift (I speak Moroccan Arabic, and was very gratified that it came to my aid that night). Having arrived there, I immediately fell asleep, without time to even wash away over 24 hours of travel.

I wanted to start early on Wednesday, and get the lay of the land as quickly as I could. Jetlag had other plans and kept me in bed till 11:30. I made my way to the Palais des Festival, the main hub for all things Cannes. After getting some, but far from all of my questions answered, I waited in line for the 9pm screening of “Loveless”.

Read more in Ethan’s review of “Loveless”: “One of the key lines of the film, uttered by Zhenya’s new lover, states simply, “Lovelessness: one cannot live in that state.” By the conclusion, this state takes on the meaning of state as government.”

That was it for Wednesday, and I headed back up the hill to get some sleep. By 8am today, however, I was back at the Palais, waiting in line for Todd Haynes’ “Wonderstruck”. I barely made it into the screening, but was glad I did.

After seeing both of these films, I was struck by the fact that they are both about runaway kids. As I prepare for the 7:30pm screening of “Un Beau Soleil Intérieur”, I wonder if all the movies I’ll see over the next two weeks will be as well. Check back tomorrow for another daily roundup, and a quick overview of the Director’s Fortnight.