Cinephile in the Chicago area
Ray Privett

Next year in Cannes

What is Cannes? It's a place, of course, but it's also a myth, and a market.

The closest I've ever been to the Croisette was one summer in the early 90s, when I joined a group on a trip to France, Monaco, and Switzerland. We started out in Paris, then went southeast through Avignon to Nice and Monaco, before heading north again. We didn't stop in Cannes, but I remember looking out the window as we rolled through the station, daydreaming about directors, stars, and screenings.

I don't daydream about the idea in general anymore. Instead I take a look at the schedule, and daydream about what films I'd discover, and about the circumstances under which I'd discover them. Of course there would often be distributors and other money men around. They would probably impact things like which particular screen is used, what time of day it is, and how many people are talking on cellular phones during the screening.

But what else would be happening in the movie theatre? What does my friend sitting next to me think? Has she recovered from her allergic reaction to something in the Mediterranean air? What does the audience tell us about the importance of the film - not just about who at a later date might buy tickets for the film, but about the cultural significance of the film? A lot of these films, of course, will be very difficult to find outside of Cannes and, with luck, a few other festivals. Who is so curious that they have come from across the planet to see this film, and why have they made the trip? Who are the filmmakers? What do they say to introduce the film, and how do they respond to questions afterward?

Coming back from my daydream, I wonder why I am not able to be there myself. Then, like a diaspora Jew who ritualistically evokes Jerusalem without really thinking about the complications of pilgrimage, I say to myself: "Next year in Cannes.