The pandemic has made armchair travellers of us. As many countries are still keeping Covid restrictions intact, some requiring quarantine for international arrivals, the best way to travel, at least for now, could well be sticking to your imaginary itinerary.
For the highly motivated, the prestigious Cannes Film Festival will resume July 6-17 this year, after a cancelled 2020 event. For filmmakers, this is good news, Cannes is bursting with films that have accumulated since 2019. So, put on your running shoes and head to the Promenade de la Croisette (photo above, source: Wikipedia Commons) and walk up the red carpet at the Palais des Festivals. After Covid, I’m sure the Cannes gate keepers will loosen up a bit with the high-heel code. Instead, Covid measures will be in place.
Saftey protocols include face coverings, social distancing, showing of full vaccination, if unable to provide, there’ll be Covid tests onsite. And, according to Reuters, while there will be ‘no kissing at the top of the red carpet’, festival director Thierry Fremaux said restrictions should not be too onerous.
Imagine you’re at the Palais des Festivals, the venue of the Cannes Film Festival, here’s what you’ll see…
Jodie Foster will kick off the 74th Festival de Cannes as the special guest of the Opening Ceremony. Foster first stepped on the red carpet at Cannes in 1976 when she was only 13 years old as the film she was in won the Palme d’Or, that’s Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. This time, she will be awarded an honorary Palme d’Or.
You might also catch a glimpse of the jury president Spike Lee on the Croisette. Other celebs sightings could well be the stars in the official selections. The following are the ones I anticipate watching (For the full list, click here to the Cannes website)
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In Competition:
Annette (France) – Opening Film, Leos Carax directs Marion Cotillard, Adam Driver
Bergman Island (France) – Mia Hansen-Løve directs Mia Wasikowska, Tim Roth
Drive My Car (Japan) – Ryûsuke Hamaguchi directs Hidetoshi Nishijima, Masaki Okada
Flag Day (USA) – Sean Penn directs Katheryn Winnick, Josh Brolin, Sean Penn
Memoria (Thailand) – Apichatpong Weerasethakul directs Tilda Swinton, Daniel Giménez-Cacho
The French Dispatch (USA) – Wes Anderson directs Timothée Chalamet, Elizabeth Moss, Frances McDormand and all the Wes Anderson usuals
A Hero (Iran) – Asghar Farhadi directs Amir Jadidi, Mohsen Tanabandeh
Un Certain Regard:
Blue Bayou (USA) – Justin Chon directs Justin Chon, Alicia Vikander
After Yang (USA) – Kogonada directs Colin Farrell, Jodie Turner-Smith
Cannes Premiere:
In Front of Your Face (Korea) – Hong Sang-Soo directs
Mothering Sunday – Eva Husson directs Olivia Colman, Colin Firth, Josh O’Connor
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Ripple Effects 