Story Three | Dispatches From Cannes, pt 1
The first set of emails recounting my glamorous, awkward adventures as an intern at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.
In 2005, I was awarded a Kodak Student Filmmaker internship at the Cannes Film Festival in the south of France, giving me an opportunity to work the festival during the day and attend the films at night. It was my *dream* internship. I drove straight from my University of Richmond graduation to the airport to catch my flight to Nice.
While in Cannes, I sent 75 friends and family a series of six emails recapping my various adventures. They still bring up these emails occasionally today, almost 20 years later. Today, you’re going to read the first three emails, and next week, the final three.
The dated cultural references are prolific. My lexicon and expression is… let’s say, unique? It’s a convicting time stamp of the era and my maturity. I preserved my typos…
I’ve also included some of our snaps from this group internship. Here and here is additional context on the 2005 Festival.
Dispatches From Cannes, pt 1
RE: Greeting from the Cannes Film Festival
May 11, 2005, 2:46 PM
Hello!!!!
OK, so now that I have been whisked away from graduation without saying a proper goodbye in person to practically anyone, and almost breaking down for the first time during all of the graduation festivities, I have to tell you, it was all worth it. I got off the plane in Nice about 15 hours after so sadly leaving everyone and was warmly welcomed in paradise. Yes, warm sun, literally crystal blue waters, palm trees, beach for miles, FRENCH everything and to top it off - the Cannes Film Festival, the second most publicized event in the world (I think I've butchered that stat, but it's the second most something in the world). I was the last of the 138 film interns to arrive and was therefore received with great patience and have already made oodles of friends - they all felt bad for the rumpled, jetlagged, completely clueless tall blond chick who had no idea what the hell was going on. So the first thing I did when I got here? Went to my room, swung open the door of this teeny tiny room that I share with four other people and plopped down
BREAKING NEWS: I'm going to the opening film tonight on the red carpet!!!!!!!!! Unfortunately, it's a psychological thriller which means I will likely have my hands over my face in fear for the majority of the time, but I get to walk the red carpet all dressed up and with major French celebrities and hey, whoever else shows up. This could happen almost every night because of my awesome/boring job!!! Read on...
so I got to my hotel room, and the first thing I saw was the view. We are one block from the beach and have an unobstructed view of the entire bay of Cannes. Jawdropper. So after unpacking, I went to a party - duh. THANK GOODNESS for college party training because I was basically dumped at this party with the other 137 interns plus random executives who own major production companies and had to mingle though I was still in my travel clothes and could barely see straight from jet lag. It was awesome! Within two hours I had met my roommates, met a couple of girls who are going to go to Paris with me after the program, met my boss who said she wants to read my book but honestly seeing as how we're not going to be sleeping much, I don't think that's going to happen. So hung out there... Everyone in the program has either made movies or brought their 14 scripts that they've written and I'm the random journalism major who wrote a book and arrived late because she wanted to go to her graduation - it's quite the scandal because most of the other seniors had to skip (or wanted to) because of the festival. I have no idea who some of these people are, but day two let us bond oodles.
Day two: Lots of gifts from random promotional people, met the organizers of the entire festival (awesome), and got our passes. Our passes get us into most of the movies (except red carpet and a few ticketed screenings) and get us backstage practically everywhere. I'm constantly being scanned for weapons but I've seen behind the scenes everywhere! It's awesome. I got my job assignment. Most people are working in the cafe making up to 50E/day off of tips, but I have this random special assignment in the center of the market, where films are sold like whoa, with the IFTA (it took me all of two days to remember this acronym because it's crazy and doesn't flow). Ok it's the Independent Film and Television Alliance, aka a trade association of all the distributors in film. Aka I'll meet everyone and although my job consists of 5.5 hours of sitting in a chair (and writing the occasional email, yes, i'm at work now), the other .5 hour consists of getting all the red carpet premiere tickets and they are liberally hooking me up with tickets. The woman I work with asked me how many dresses I brought because she says I'll be using them lots. This is AMAZING because these tickets are soooo hard to get and these are the best films in the world right now. Anyhow, I was a little tentative to go to the red carpet by myself but I found out they are giving 8 tickets away to other interns and I even have some guy who a) is really cute and b) says he'll walk me down the red carpet if he wins! Woohoo! And he doesn't, I have a bunch of girlfriends who will probably go! Wow I vaulted straight into day three with no transition! Can you tell I'm excited?!
Last time I was abroad, I desperately asked for updates on the hot music but no need now. Apparently for the festivals, flat screen monitors have been put in ALL the cafes and show music videos all day long. So, you sit and eat your croque monsieur and watch Eminem/50 Cent videos. They are SO cultured here.
Kyle, there is some guy on the program who looks exactly like you, it's scary. Only difference is his hair could never ever hold a mohawk.
Danielle, I got the internship in Richmond with Siddall. Should I take it? You know the whole deal. I could always be a sellout and babysit forever. Ack, my boss keeps walking through and is glaring at me for sitting here and typing. They're not paying me though, so I don't feel too bad, but they are going to give me the best contacts in film ever so maybe I should suck up a little more.
Beach and celebrities and the best in film ever. It's going to be amazing. More emails later! Send me something from America! I'd love to know what you're up to. Oh, if you want a postcard, send me your address pronto!
Love, Elisabeth
PS NATALIE PORTMAN is a confirmed attendee for the Festival. I have to work on a) getting her attention and b) how to ask her to play my main character in my book when it becomes a screenplay. HMmmm, maybe I should just get her mobile number. RIGHT!
RE: Oh crazy cool red carpet adventures
Thu, May 12, 2005, 5:53 PM
Helloooooooo
To think that this is the usual in Cannes. I must begin in a slightly cheeky way - red carpet screenings are described by my internship program as "dressing up to sit in the dark." However, the fact really is that red carpet adventures seldom begin at the foot of the carpet or once the movie is over. It is the act of primping with about a million gal pals, trying to find those guys - our (somewhat shady) escorts - who never meet at the right time, actually somehow finding the correct entrance through the mass of barricades, photographers (not press) and the millions of sketchy men who have never seen blondes before. Seriously someone needs to begin importing tall blondes as they are apparently in high demand here. It's always fun to have some guy talk to me and my friends in English, then turn to his friend and talk about us atrociously in French because as Americans we have no concept of the French language and would have no clue that someone might actually be talking about us, straight to our face. At that point, I quickly switch into French and coyly offer some excuse about having to meet our friends somewhere and we walk away as the random French guys stammer after us about how they didn't know we knew French. Please. My friends have decided I am the perfect afterhours companion because I can serve as translator/only person who speaks good French in the group, bodyguard with my well-practiced ice queen bit, and the tall blonde bit, because when we actually want something, we can get it. And there goes my tendency to go off a bit on tangents. Back to the red carpet.
It's really not all that spectacular if you forget that you are at the most prestigious film festival in the world, mounting red carpeted stairs with the most elite people in the film industry (not to mention where Nicole Kidman struck that unforgettable pose in her Pucci gown when presenting Moulin Rouge), about to see a film that has not been released to the general public and will not for about 8 more months. So really, it is absolutely one of the coolest things I have ever done in my life. And, if I really wanted, I could do it every night! I pulled out my slinky black dress, gold heels and earrings and went to go see the latest French film, "Lemming," which had good cinematography and acting but the plot was atrocious, surpassing any manner of weirdness in French film. In short, I do not recommend this movie at all. Even so, while watching this movie, dressed up in the dark, I could not help but crazily smile every now and then, because I was at the Cannes Film Festival. And sitting with all my film friends (18 others got tickets through the Amer. Pavilion), we all sat there and collectively gasped at our luck. We're (well they are) film students for crying out loud. Almost no one can get in to these things. Tons of people were standing around asking for tix or just watching for fun. We've found out that the street value of our festival badges is about 2200 EUROS. AKA holy goodness. Sadly being the first night in Cannes, the parties were not going full blast because not everyone has arrived (totally different story tonight - MTV and the silly I'm-an-actor Paris Hilton are here plus about 80 other things), but we got in at everything and upon leaving one, saw some of our other film people get denied at the door... shady considering no one was at the party.
Major coup - the Amer. Pavilion gave out tickets to both "Lemming" and Woody Allen's new movie, "Match Point." I got tix to Lemming from my bosses and won the Amer. Pavilion ones. SCORE! And then I found out the movie was showing at 8:30 am, after getting in at 3am from the previous night. Of course, I went anyways. Phenomenal film. In 10 minutes, I'm off to watch the red carpet entrances of Woody Allen, Scarlett Johannsen and the hunks from "Bend it Like Beckham" and yes "Chasing Liberty" (but he's soooo hot), who all starred in the movie. There will be NO swooning (I'm channeling all celebrity interaction for Natalie Portman), just lots and lots of picture taking.
I realize that while in Cannes I should not be sending daily emails of this length but you have no idea how many times a day that I reach for my cell phone to call or text to tell you about all this crazy fun stuff. Plus, that and my work leaves me nothing to do, so I can send emails and write postcards (hellllooooo addresses?????).
All my love,
Elisabeth
RE: because I can't really send mail everyday, try as I might
Sun, May 15, 2005, 3:51 PM
Hello!
Chronicles in Cannes will take place in a diary form aka I will provide you entries from day to day and then just send this in a few days. PS I love your responses, they give me great joy considering I am basically traveling alone for three weeks. So keep them coming!
Thurs 12, I didn't actually get to walk the red carpet - booooooooo. But I did get to watch it from very close because our badges give us amazing access. "Match Point" Woody Allen's newest film had it's red carpet premiere, which I told you was fabulous, but getting to SEE him, Scarlett Johannsen, Jonathan Reys-Meyers, Emily Mortimer, a super famous Indian actress (actor whatever), and Vincent Cassel (the villain in Ocean's 12), that was soooo fabulous. I definitely accomplished my goal of seeing a celebrity, or a bunch, for the day.
Fri 13, Back to the red carpet. Let's just say thank goodness I got 10 hours of sleep Thursday night. Whew. Busy 14 hours. Got off work at 6, red carpet world premiere at 10, Ritz-Carlton party at 1, another red carpet (but dressdown, oh the irony) at 8:30am on Sat. The world premiere was Gus van Sant's "Last Days" a really interesting movie about Kurt Cobain's last days on earth. There was all this paralleling to the Christ figure which was a little strange and although I didn't actually like watching the movie itself, I left with an intense sense of fulfillment, and there was one moment that was literally inspiration bottled and captured on film. Ridiculous stuff. So this was my first red carpet with paparazzi - so much fun but you literally are blind by the end of it from all the flash. Haha my walk went sooo much faster than Salma Hayek's. Go figure. (Same black dress, this time with my diamonds. ha.) Everyone in the movie was there - van Sant, Michael Pitt, Asia Argento and ton of hot no names. Javier Bardem was there, Matt Dillon, I'm told Toni Morrison was there (she's part of the jury this year, I LOVE her). So that's always a good time to be at world premiere with the actors and whatnot.
Later me and some Amer Pav. interns (who all hate me because I get into everything because of my bosses) walked around looking for a good party. Ended up at the Ritz after the Kodak party ended early (not enough alcohol). This is how you get into a VIP party without tix. It's not that hard - walk in wearing black tie and walk through with a look of disdain/smiling broadly. V. complicated look. No, really you just walk in, follow some well dressed people and bam you're at an exlusive Chopard (the jewelers that provide all red carpet jewels to the stars here at Cannes) party, straight out of VH1, with the crazy beds people lounge on, the catwalk, and the champagne served with immense sparklers. Good times really. Any time someone asks you for your invite, you don't speak that language. The music was so strange - NOTHING in French, and alternating half hour of motown and fun old songs and half hour of American club/row anthems (Crazy in Love - yesss, and Get Right, complete with demonstration of the routine, though it is sad by yourself). One of the interns offered me drink, I said no thanks, he was surprised I don't drink and asked if I was overwhelmed by the party scene here in that case. I wanted to tell him that I wasn't a Mormon and that this scene was nothing compared to spring break. Whatever. Got home at 3:45 and had tickets to the next morning's showing of "Hidden," playing in the majestic Lumiere theatre at 830am. Rough morning all in all. Such a strange movie - saw a man slit his throat - blood everywhere. I have no idea what happened at all.* And I have tix again to the red carpet tonight but I really can't go.
*This is the film that is thus far favored to receive the Palme d'Or and film dunce that I am, I didn't get it at all at all - I have since read all the reviews and now I feel like an idiot - it was so obvious! I personally don't think it will win anyhow.
Sunday - yesterday. Oh man, got home and quite literally passed out sitting up at 8:30pm and woke up in time to go to a movie at 9:15AM - turned out I needed tickets, talked with Studio Canal and they helped me out last minute, and the film ended up being a sequel to "L'auberge espanol" one of my fav french films. Came to work. Today is Stars Wars mayhem because it's the first screening of the film in the world and people are going totally nuts. One of my friends here has some 19-year-old VIP trying to get us in (just for Natalie Portman mind you) but if not, I'm likely going to a 10pm showing of an Italian film on the lovely red carpet. I have now been labelled an expert at obtaining tickets and people in the Marché aka the professionals here are asking me for advice which is ridiculous really - I just go with my bosses' names and doors are opened and tickets handed to me. Great fun. What is not fun is that Natalie Portman has shaved her head. Jawdropper. Haven't seen it yet, I probably will since my boss promised me tickets for her Israelian film on Thursday. Met a French director in the Marché yesterday who remembered me from the VCU French Film Festival of all things. There's another one floating around that I remember - I have yet to talk to him, his bf is always right next to him yakking away.
Celeb watch news!! John Leguiziamo was here, saw him, he's cool. The cast and crew of Desperate Housewives was in the Amer. Pavilion yesterday but I didn't stick around to wait for them - too busy (haha aka I sat there for an hour and half and just couldn't wait any more). And the latest and greatest (Patrick, Gillian, sit down and brace yourselves). So for our luncheon on Tuesday for the Pavilion - students only - yup, The OC's Ben McKenzie will be there. Ohhh baby. Just me and him and 137 other students. V. exclusive.
This email has now reached an obsessive length. Emails please! To think I still have 8 more days of this! Blissssssss! And then Paris. This is the life.
Elisabeth
PS To all my Richmond people - I walking down the street today and someone honked and I thought to myself, oh I only respond to that on campus because that's when it's someone I know - then I realized all over again that I would never ever ever be returning to campus as a student and I was really sad.
Miss you all!
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Next Week’s Plot Twist…
We’re on to pt 2 of Dispatches From Cannes, the final three emails concluding my red-carpet and red-faced adventures.
Last week’s story:
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