You operate in a different time zone at the Cannes Film Festival. I don’t just mean the one hour time difference between Cambridge and Cannes. Somehow, you operate far further into the future than just an hour. All the upcoming films which were on your radar (and a lot of fabulous ones that weren’t up until now) are all of a sudden at your disposal. Everything in the space of a week and a half.

I feel as if I have stepped through the looking glass, or decided “heck, it’s time to check out the back of that big ol’ wardrobe again… just in case”. It’s warm out on the balcony at 3.15am as I write this diary entry. I can see the moon above, peering down on all of us film industry folk, and no doubt (anthropomorphically speaking) it is chuckling at us in some way. For which lover of cinema wouldn’t find this whole set-up just a bit surreal, magical, and bombastic? I’ve had quite a day today, and it would be my great pleasure to share some of my experiences with you on the Take One website. Ta-Dah!

Isaac de Bankolé is one of my favourite actors, so to unexpectedly see him stroll up on to the stage was a real thrill.

Today has been a sandwich sort of day, with great bread, and an only so-so filling. Will that metaphor hold up? Let me explain. Philippe Lacote’s RUN was my first film of the day in Salle Debussy. I got there two hours early. Ploughed through another 20 pages of my Truman Capote novel. Was one of the first people into the screen, and subsequently got a front row seat. Unbeknownst to me, Phillippe Lacote and his cast were in the audience, and came up to introduce the film. Isaac de Bankolé (recently seen in the excellent CALVARY) is one of my favourite actors, so to unexpectedly see him stroll up on to the stage was a real thrill. The film is set on the Ivory Coast and follows the protagonist, Run, through a shifting chronological focus. It manages to say all the right things about corruption and hardship in the Ivory Coast, whilst also feeling far more accessible and light-hearted than TIMBUKTU (a film for which I also have a strong affection). The cinematography is gorgeous, and what some felt to be a peculiar rhythm to the film due to the shifting chronology of events, I found to be a rather refreshing way to tell a story on the big screen. I left the screening feeling very positive and ready for a couple of other movies in quick succession. It was, however, not meant to be…

There followed just over four hours of two separate queues…

Here comes the so-so sandwich filling part to the day. There followed just over four hours of two separate queues in which I got precariously close to the front, only to be told the screen had filled up. To be fair to the South of France, it does provide some stunningly good weather, and I was in very good company with Verena and her film festival buddies for both aborted film viewings. However, it’s fantastically disheartening to be denied entrance to two separate screenings after all that time standing around, getting slowly burnt by the sun. Where to next for Monsieur Jackabuss then? Down to the Short Films basement of course!

There was an industry talk taking place today as I meandered my way down various staircases and corridors towards the Short Film cubby-hole. A plethora of young film industry folk holding either a bottle of Stella Artois or sparkling water (on free supply down in the Short Film basement) were to be navigated through. I had one UK short film to watch today called DONE IN (which has a brilliantly executed twist) before moving on to some Mexican shorts. The first one I selected turned out to be nothing special, but number two, EL ARBOL, featured in the GIFF: Best Mexican Shorts category was fascinating. A anthropological study of an indigenous community who have a wonderful ritual use for a very, very tall tree. I will say no more, other than it was 12 minutes well-spent!

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7REQSFZNJeQ

I then went back to the apartment and got changed into my black velvet DJ and pea-green, tweed bow-tie, as I had managed to secure two tickets to screenings in the Grand Théâtre Lumière this evening. First up was Argentinian director Damián Szifron’s RELATOS SALVAJES. I knew nothing about the film but my friend Falila had a great time in the press screening, so I thought I’d take a punt. What followed was a strange incident in which I sat down beneath a large hanging basket of petunias near the back of the queue for the balcons entrance (the balcony area to which my accredited badge grants me access), was approached by a rather drunk lady. She called me a “fitty” and offered to exchange my balcons ticket for hers in the orchestre (the best seats in the screen, downstairs with the cast and crew) so she could sit with her friends upstairs on the balcony. I accepted, and found myself ushered into a different queue, the one right at the front of the red carpet, where the limos pull up to drop-off their cinematic guests. Being a small world, the lady next to me in the queue worked at the Berlin Film Festival. We got chatting and it turned out she knew of Verena. Of course you do, it’s Cannes! Such things must happen on a regular basis!

 As each segment concludes, the audience bursts into applause, wondering how the next tale can possibly top the previous one…

We shuffled along and found ourselves at the foot of the red carpet, stretching fifty or sixty metres ahead, up the steps to Grand Théâtre Lumière, and into the cinema. Upon entering the screen (remember, this is the 2000+ seats grand daddy of cinema screens), I am informed my ticket lets me sit anywhere on the right-hand side of the auditorium. “On the front row too?” I ask an usher. “Oui Monsieur.” I am early in to the screen so have the whole of the auditorium to choose from. When am I going to be able to say I sat on the front row of the Grand Théâtre Lumière again? It’s an obvious choice to make. Front row it shall be!

Damián Szifron and his cast and crew from RELATOS SALVAJES walk up the red carpet and into the screen, sitting maybe ten or more rows behind me. The contingent includes legendary director Pedro Almodóvar (a producer on the film), and Ricardo Darín, the brilliant Argentinian actor from THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES a few years ago. The film begins and the audience is super-charged after a day drinking and queuing on the sun-drenched pavements and courtyards of Cannes. Through a series of five, loosely interlinked stories, at some point or other everything (and I mean everything) falls apart in a manner that reminded me of some of the best of Roald Dahl’s short stories. As each segment of the film concludes, the audience bursts into applause, wondering how the next tale can possibly top the previous one, but the energy and pacing of the film is relentless. I loved it!

httpvh://youtu.be/ZNC3kH5YUlw

It was then a dash out of the cinema and back into the queue with Falila for Kristian Levring’s THE SALVATION – starting at half past midnight. An amusing thing happens as the cast and crew of THE SALVATION wait at the base of the red carpet, in the exact spot I was in two hours ago. They are waiting for our queue to move along and into the screen, but our queue is progressing slowly, with Falila and I right at the back of it. We get in fifteen minutes late, thus delaying Kristian Levring access to the red carpet, but no-one seem to mind. It’s a balmy Saturday evening on the French riviera, and everyone’s here to have a good time. The Danish director of this Western, starring Mads Mikkelsen and Douglas Henshall (of BBC crime drama SHETLAND), has infused the genre with a good smattering of Nordic Noir, and I enjoyed it immensely. This time, I found myself sitting on the very back row at the top of balcony, in a funny twist of fate. But the view and sound were still great.

Tomorrow, I shall treat myself to a lie-in to catch up on some sleep. I know I’m going to enjoy my last two days at Cannes. Slightly sunburnt, very happy, signing-off :)X