Co-Founder and Executive Director of the WFF, Meira Blaustein, continues her diary of Cannes 2012. Lights, camera, action.
Day two at Cannes began at the American Pavilion, a large group of beautiful white tents on the beach with tables going all the way out onto the sand. There, filmmakers and industry members who obtain a pass can enjoy drinks, food, conversation and special events morning to evening while watching the waves gently brush onto the sand and the boats go by. The Pavilion is manned by lovely young American students from various film, business and culinary schools across the US whose cheerful and friendly disposition quickly put one at ease, allowing for much needed calm and relaxation in the midst of the Cannes chaos that abounds all around. The Pavilion is the largest one in an endless series of Pavilions from all over the world – China, Germany, Turkey etc, all welcoming guests into their tents on the beach and allowing them to explore what each country has to offer in terms of contemporary film.
Across from the Pavilion, as part of the gigantic Palais complex is the Marche de Cannes; the Cannes Market. As you walk through aisles and aisles of booths from every film company throughout the world, one is struck by the abundance of film production there is out there; it’s quite endless. There is so much to discover. Much of the talk out here is, of course, about the high number of celebrities in attendance who are associated with various films showing as well as some that are shooting here, including a film with Alec Baldwin, being filmed right here during the festival.
Earlier today I caught the press screening of Mystery, part of Un Certain Regard in Cannes; a film that was both amazing to look at but also tough at times to watch and to follow, and so it left me with mixed feelings. Next on the agenda is Paradies: Liebe which is in competiton here. Looking forward to seeing that one.
After this there are various parties to choose from and / or a presentation by Gucci of the restored version of Once Upon a Time in America (1984), which promises to be a special event. We’ll see where my feet end up taking me… In the meantime, the sky is blue, the weather is fabulous, and it’s time to walk the Croisette and enjoy. A’ tout a’lehure!
Text: Meira Blaustein
Image: Inge Maux, Peter Kazungu, Margarethe Tiesel – Photocall – Paradies : Liebe © AFP
