Category Archives: Cannes

May 13 2010
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Cannes, Cannes Film Festival, Celebrities, Red Carpet, UGA Students

Day 1 – Complete

I made it into Cannes hours after many of our unstoppable students had already gotten 3-4 film screenings under their belts. This is a whole new breed of participants, these students. Their excitement is palpable, but their humility remains intact throughout. They are wonderful.

Once I got off the train in sunny Cannes I stopped into 8 or 9 hotels, unfortunately, not making it past many of their lobbies. They were either too small to accommodate a group of our size OR they were already booked the entire 12 days of the Festival. I have a couple of strong leads with which I’ll need to follow up in the coming days. Both places have rooftop solariums that could seat 30 of us plus a speaker comfortably. Send good vibes my way in hopes that I can nail one of these places down – hopefully for the price of “gratuit” (though unlikely).

After my hotel search I popped in to my fave shoe store, André, to see what they had in stock for oh ten. I gave them lots and lots of Euros last year – which included the purchase of my FAVORITE tan, leather, peep-toe, wedges with the wooden heel — one of which is currently lost in G’boro, North Cakalaki from the weekend before I left. Long, sad story, but I guess that’s what a high school reunion of sorts can do to a person (or rather, a shoe). Blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-al-co-hol. Oh well. And no such luck finding a replacement pair at Andre this year. I guess they are “so last season” already. Bummer.
*One fun note about my visit to André (Dan, pay attention here) – when I walked in the store I was met with the familiar sounds of Vampire Weekend’s latest song playing through the speakers. Ah, what a refreshing reminder of home.

I left the shoe mecca empty-handed (thank goodness for my bank account’s sake) and made my way through the criss-crossed streets up to the Croisette, the main drag of Cannes. I rendez-vous’d with Sophie and Lily at the American Pavilion to pick up my Festival-long pass to the Am Pav (another unprecedented coup for this year’s program participants). I was handed my Am Pav badge and two free drink tickets, so we wandered through the crowd of familiar accents and grabbed a table on the sunny patio.
Many of our students were there readying themselves to head out to the streets and beg for tickets.
Notice the difference between the girls’ signs (above) and the boys’ signs (below). Just an interesting gender study. Ha.
The boys went to change into their tuxes, and Lily and Sophie into their dresses, so I was left to sit on the patio by my lonesome sipping a (FREE) Stella and planning out which screenings/speakers I want to see.
After a bit more time lounging and scheduling out my next few days – I gathered my things and trekked back out into the winding streets in search of a daggum hotel/meeting space for our group. On my way to some familiar establishments I passed faces I knew on just about every corner. Students were holding up signs EVERYWHERE – and looking good doing it!
After I searched for more hotel meeting locations I attempted to make my way over to the doors in front of the Palais to meet up with Sophie and Lily, who had failed to land a ticket to the “Robin Des Bois” (aka- ‘Robin Hood’) premiere. However, I only made it so far before I was corralled in with the masses on the grasses due to the barricades EVERYWHERE. I felt like a bull being wrangled through the grid of rodeo barricades – I was trapped – and a cowboy was about to mount me. Wait, what? No. But I WAS trapped in the crowds…with a FANTASTIC view of the red carpet.
[insert Kate Bekinsale glamour shot here]
Can you say, ‘movie star’? People around me literally gasped when she started walking up the stairs with her dress draping dramatically behind her.
*Insider note: One of our more fashion-conscious students, Katie Kellogg, informed me later that she and Kate Bekinsale were wearing the SAME designer, Marchesa, during that first premiere night. That, to me, is impressive – considering most of my clothing can be found at your local Urban Outfitters or Target.
[insert picture of entire jury]
I call this “Blurry Jury.”
Next I saw the curvaceous Salma Hayek. Even from 200 yards away I felt like Roger Rabbit staring at Jessica Rabbit – I mean, bodies like hers do not exist elsewhere in the world. She looked amazing. Unfortunately, you’ll never know b/c I didn’t get a good enough picture to share it on here. Guess you’ll have to just catch it on “The Today Show.”
[insert picture of Russell Crowe giving a peace sign and Kate Blanchett looking so effortlessly beautiful it would make you sick]
…whenever the internet will upload one photo quicker than 3omin then I will post the aforementioned picutres – but for now you can just fantasize.
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May 12 2010
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Cannes, Cannes Film Festival, Music

The Festival Kicks Off Today

And the first premiere (“Robin Hood”) is tonight – which I could care less about. It WOULD be worth getting into solely for the first 45min which is the Opening Ceremony, complete with the full jury on stage and Tim Burton at the helm. We’ll see – I may not put forth the effort to dress up and try to get in.
I DO however want to figure out where the heck this elusive “VIP Room” is which is a club in Cannes. Kid Cudi is performing tonight to kick off the festival and T.I. is performing tomorrow night. Within the next week people like Karl Lagerfeld, Paris Hilton, Kelis, and The Blackeyed Peas will all be holding events there. Now if only I can find a way into this exclusive Cannes inner-circle… I’m on a mission.
Okay – gotta go get dressed/ready real quick to hop the 4:10 train into Cannes. I guess I’ll stuff a dress and some heels into my bag for tonight JUST in case…
Got to get to work for the next few hours though – nailing down one or two (or three) hotels where we can host our students and special guest speakers that I’ll line up in the coming week and a half. Time to hit these hotel workers with some French negotiating – YOLO Beav style.
Okay, see ya.
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Jun 04 2009
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Cannes, France, Travel, Visitors

Finally some pictures

Here are some pictures from our first week together in France…

SATURDAY — Eze, Monaco

Pulling in to the hillside town of Eze on the grafitti’d train.
Attempting to find the nearest bus stop.  We had been told by students who visited Eze the day before that we HAD to pay 5euros and take the bus 20min up the mountain where we would be met with a beautiful garden which would pale in comparison to the view overlooking the Mediterranean down below.  Apparently our bus ride up to the top of the hill was not meant to be because our timing was off.  It was 45 min until the next bus went up, 20 min to get up to the top, and the next train we needed to catch to Monaco was shortly thereafter.  Too shortly thereafter, in fact, that our bus trip plans were squelched as we headed back to the train station and decided, “we’ll see it next year.”
The train – in very French fashion – didn’t show up until 25min after it was due to arrive.  Thus, Dan and my trip to Eze turned into an hour-long detour on our way to Monaco.  We took plenty of pictures at the train station in an attempt to appease our boredom and distract ourselves from the fact that we were a mere two train stops from Monaco and still had to wait so long to get there.  So close, yet so far away…
We made it!  (P.S. – NICEST train station I’ve seen in Europe.)
This church we stumbled upon has been there since the year 304 (!!).  America is so young. 
Dan being a good Catholic…dipping his fingers in the holy water and doing the 1-2-3-4 thing.
  
Dan paid 1 euro and we lit a candle together.  We walked through the church passed all of the wooden pews, finally taking a seat in the second row at the front and prayed together.  I thanked god for sending Dan to me…both in France and in life…and wished for god to continue granting us his “traveling mercies” (b/c I ALWAYS remember my youth group leader in middle school mentioning that in the group prayer anytime we got on a bus. Gotta love the Methodists!).  I don’t know what Dan prayed about.

After our brush with religion, Dan and I headed straight to the Monte Carlo casino.  Our arrogance was palpable as we strutted along the shoreline flaunting our cash in euros.  Breezing by the single security guard at the door we perused the casino’s interior and its clientele.  We were the only Americans in there.  However, Lady Luck spat in our faces quicker than you could shout, “Le Blackjack!”  Within seconds we were down a combined 25euros on the daggum slots (i.e. the world’s fanciest trash cans for money).  Our spirits were still high despite our misfortune as it was a cool feeling to simply be gambling in the ACTUAL area of Monte Carlo in Monaco versus its American counterpart, the infamously charred hotel/casino version of Monte Carlo in Vegas.
This is the shopping mall in the Monte Carlo section of Monaco.  Yeah, this area has some money…
Dogs are allowed in restaurants, stores, hotels, and offices….but heaven forbid they be allowed in the park!
Here are a few more pictures from our afternoon/evening in Monaco:
 

 
SUNDAY — Antibes

A street performer came to the outdoor restaurant where we were dining for lunch.  He set up shop for a 15-20min performances perfectly situated behind Dan’s chair.  Dan didn’t mind too much as he was engulfed in the spicy/pepper olive oil that they serve here (Warning:  To all Customs agents who may read this do not be alarmed when Dan’s suitcase is weighed down by bottles of these on the return trip).  Also, the performer ended his set with the crowd-pleasing song choice of, “La Bamba.”  Viva France!

After lunch we walked along the harbor and into the city’s walls.  At first glance I thought these flags said “Arby’s”.  Ha
As soon as we entered the Antibes’ walls we found ourselves being welcomed by a jovial, seemingly impromptu parade.

Typical street in Antibes.  Love it!
Here’s another cute little alley.
We bought three paintings (3!) from this artist at the open-air market.  One of a nearby street in Antibes, one of Cannes’ harbor, and one of the Monte Carlo Hotel where we visited the day before.  They are all gorgeous and distinct in their own way.  Thank you to our artist friend, Vincent!
Beautiful city walls along the Med.
Gorgeous, yet treacherous, water and rocks below.
Napoleon wuz here.
The afternoon quickly digressed as soon as we reached the landmark Absinthe Bar… (see below) …

MONDAY — Cannes
We ventured over to Cannes Monday afternoon after Dr. Kohn’s journalism class let out.  It was rainy the whole time we were there, so we didn’t really get any pictures.  We did however shop like CRAZY and eat a good meal at Cafe Roma.
TUESDAY — Nice

Tuesday morning we let our rebellious sides run wild and grabbed a train to Nice without paying.  (Read: heavy sarcasm here.  No one ever pays for trains around here.  Riding for free is well worth the risk of being fined – which is rare.  I’m waiting for the day when my making statements like this comes to bite me in the ass…)
Anyway, we spent a couple of hours walking and shopping in the lovely city of Nice.  P.S.  – This was probably the fourth time I’ve been to Nice in my life and it was the 1st time EVER since I’ve been that the town and general infrastructure was not under construction.  Nice is now actually nice.  Hats off, local government and construction teams.


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May 23 2009
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Cannes, France, Observations, UGA Students

French Hospitals

I have been absent from my blog, my email, and normal life as we know it for the past few days as I was spending some (unexpected) quality time getting to know the French medical system — particularly the hospitals.  My observations are as follows:

– The exterior of a French hospital may appear to be a rundown “Jefferson’s”-esque apartment complex from the ’70s, but this is misleading because the interior has definitely “moved on up to the Eastside” and is far more in line with our ‘American standards.’
– If you are a visitor accompanying a patient in their room for the night the bed you are issued by the nurses might turn out to be a stretcher…like the one on wheels used in ambulances.  If you enjoy sleeping on a permanent incline and if you don’t mind lying on a surface where a dead body may have preceded you then THIS is the bed for you!

– Your single room will be very nicely accommodated with a patient’s bed, window, desk, chair, and private bathroom with accompanying shower (i.e. a drain in the floor next to the toilet with a handheld shower thing mounted on the wall).  However, be prepared when you ask for the accessories needed to shower -like a towel, some soap, and shampoo- as this hospital is not a hotel and does not have such things.  Instead you will be issued a hospital bedsheet for drying, some gauze dressings to wash your face, and a mystery murky fluid in a dixie cup that may or may not be turpentine and molasses with which to wash yourself.   Use on private parts at your own risk.
– Nurses changing the IV’s of a patient are not concerned with the IV fluid OR the patient’s blood splattering onto the bed, floor, or visitor’s feet below.  Once finished, their concern level does not waiver from the aforementioned when it comes to to cleaning up said splatterings, thus leaving the visitor to clean off the blood from their own feet with a towl…I mean sheet.
– As a guest of a patient, you can occasionally be served food (pending the patient you are
 with is temporarily not allowed to eat per doctor’s orders).  This is good.  You may, however, be given a beet salad for your lunch.  This is bad.  The only halfway decent thing about a beet salad is that for one brief moment it will remind you of Dwight Schrute from “The Office.”  Then the smell and appearance of the beets will once again overtake any remotely entertaining thought you may have had for the remainder of its presence in the room. 
*These are key observations that I have been fortunate enough to note firsthand, so I felt it essential to share with any and all of you who may find themselves one day in a French Hospital.  Now back to my regular updating of this blog…
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May 19 2009
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Cannes, Cannes Film Festival, Celebrities, Guest Speakers, Uncategorized

A busy beaver, am I

Realizing the last post I made on here was on Day 3 of the Festival is quite daunting given that it is now the morning of Day 7.  Trying to remember what has happened the past four days is killer.  So much happens and you think you’ll remember so easily then – voila – you don’t.

Here’s my best stab at what I’ve been up to (without going into a ‘Dear Diary’-esque rundown):
(the rest of) DAY 3
– Saw a late afternoon showing of the Un Certain Regard selection, the Japanese movie “Air Doll” …it was okay, certainly not great.  Glad I saw it, but don’t care if I ever see it again.

– Went to a great pizza place (“Le Pizza”) at the far end of Cannes with Sophie, Raven, and Chaz Ebert (and their longtime assistant, Car
ol, who showed up with camera in hand per Roger’s request for her to snap some pictures that night for his well-read postings at Cannes).
– Discovered the similarities that Chaz and I share when it comes to writing and basically taking on any task 
— perfectionism.  Don’t want to start a task if you can’t devote all the time to it that it needs and once we do start a task it’s hard to ever finish it for fear that it is not perfectly done (i.e. scrapbooking would be a nightmare for us).  We both did agree that we are good at planning events and following through with those because we can see the instant gratification from the people they serve immediately following their completion.  For example, I said I feel that sense of accomplishment when I execute various events for Fletcher Martin or for this Cannes group and she followed up with a very nice, reassuring, “Yes, I felt the same way when I planned t
he event surrounding Roger getting his star on the Hollywood walk of fame.”  So, as you can see, Chaz and I are operating on very similar scales here.  We’re basically one and the same.  🙂
Day 4

– Utilized the space I arranged for us at the Hotel Victoria for the first time when the Swedish producers, Carl and John, from “Let The Right One In” spoke to our group of students.  They were perfect and so was the Hotel Victoria staff.  At the end of the day the use of that space cost us 20euro in glass bottles of Evian for the speakers.  Not bad.
– Walked around Cannes all afternoon  shopping and whatnot.  Ha
d high hopes of begging for tickets for Ang Lee’s red carpet premiere of “Taking Woodstock”, but apparently nature had other plans for me.  My body’s condition deteriorated rapidly throughout the day as more and more signs were beginning to show that I was wearing myself out.
– Nixed plans for the premiere and grabbed a train home, lymphnodes fully swollen and chest and head feeling not so good.
– Went to bed and tried to sleep this off until the next (very busy) morning of meetings and more planning.
Day 5
– Woke up with the Swine Flu.  (Probably not, but it was definitely a close cousin.)  
– Slep
t in as long as I could before I had to get another train to Cannes for an 11:30 meeting in the Cannes Classics office of the Palais with one mister very Greek, Van Papadopoulo.  Still not well, but as you know, “The show must go on!”  Nate (who by this time had already flown back stateside to NYC for the Peabody Awards) had set this meeting up for me in his absence before he left.  I was to meet Mr. Papadopoulo and get details on the admission of our students into this year’s Cannes Master Class (being held the following Tuesday – i.e. today…in an hour – i.e. why the hell am I still typing this freaking blog).  Last year the Master Class was conducted by Tarantino, the year before it was Scorsese.  Usually the class is held in a 1,200+ seat theatre, but this year the theatres size was a paltry 350 seats.  (Yikes!)  Luckily though, Mr. Papadopoulo really appreciated the Athens, GA to Athens, Greece connection and decided to reserve a tenth of the theatres seats for our group of students (insert shock and happiness on my part).  So that meeting w
ent very well and we left it on the note of, “See you Tuesday at the Master Class…and if you ever make it to Athens, GA please bring us a fantastic Greek restaurant.”
– Went back outside to kill time before our next speaker presentation at my little gem, the Hotel Victoria.  Sat on a bench to change into some basic, black flats that I’d just purchased from the shoe store Andre, and ended up meeting a pleasant new friend on a sidewalk bench.  As I was changing my shoes I heard this poor girl getting hit on by two not-so-suave French guys and though, “Poor thing.”  As soon as the guys left she looked at me for a unifying girl-to-girl glance and was surprised when English came out of my mouth.  We struck up a conversation immediately and found great compatibility in one another.  Originally from Romania, she now lives in San Franc
isco working on the account side of advertising, most recently for Razor Fish.  She was killing time in Cannes while the friend she was visiting worked during the day and I was killing time before my next meeting.  We decided to grab lunch together and keep each other company.  Talked a lot about the industry and whatnot – she was very amazed and interested at what I was doing in Cannes, so I was glad to show her around the sites and hotspots along the Croisette.
– Left Felicia to run to the Hotel Victoria and set the place up for our second guest 

speaker, director Paul Cox.  Paul is a lovely Dutch man who claims Australia as home.  He is cynical, realistic, and strongly set in his beliefs.  I kind of love him.  I’m sure some of the students were taken aback by his often polarizing opinionated stances, but I think on the same token several students “got” him.  He had prepared a 6-page, single-spaced document to read to us basically laying out his views on things not only in the film industry, but in life.  Thankfully he’s emailing that piece to us so I’ll be able to post some of his words on here.  He is truly a poet and a lover of art and beauty.  Everything else pales in comparison.  I thought of my brother frequently during Paul’s talk with us.  Alex, an extremist in many senses of the word, sometimes takes his thoughts and opinions too far…but for being a 19-year-old, I am just damn proud that he actually puts thought into things about which other people his age are either careless or ignorant.  Alex – I will forward you Paul Cox’s email as soon as I get it because your thoughts on religion, politics, war, life, value systems, etc. are eerily the same.  I wish you could meet dear Paul, but for now his Word Document words will have to do.
– Came back to our home base in Juan-Les-Pins for the rest of the day in hopes of ridding myself of this phlegmy chest/cough condition.
– Made some depressing phone calls to Duffy – missing him and our dog, Charley.  (Apologies again for my morose nature.  Blame it on Paul Cox who seems to put everything in crystal clear perspective for you.)
– Read a bunch, went to bed, and slept soundly until my next day in France.
to be continued…
*More later.  About to run to the Master Class in Cannes (with the Dardenne Brothers) …. will finish this post and write about my experience with the D. Bros when I return.
-ab
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