What a festival! With 326 registered Australians this year in Cannes, you can imagine we had our work cut out for us. 16 reports later, we’re out the other end and have hectic but fond memories of the 2011 festival. Here’s how it happened.
DAY ONE
Rendez vous at Gare de Lyon with whiteboard bearing Paris based director Elise McLeod and jetlagged Sydneysider editor Dylan Behan for the TGV to Cannes.
Preview of Australians at Cannes by Ruby Boukabou
Taxi to Croisette apartment (with stunning sea view!), pick up accreditation and home to get ready for Screen Australia Welcoming Drinks which we cover for SBS- click here.
Kathleen Drumm from Screen Australia tells us what's ahead for the festival.
DAY TWO
Australian film Sleeping Beauty is the first official film in competition. Attending the press conference, director Julia Leigh mentions that mentor Jane Campion is in the audience. I jump on the opportunity and get past the mob of journalist to reach Jane afterwards to request a quick itv and she tells me to meet her at the swimming pool of the Majestic at 630 where she’ll meet the cast and crew for pre red carpet drinks. Perfect! Elise and I arrive and film the Australia contingency all dressed up. Jane gives a really generous interview then as they climb into limos, we race off to get into the official screening for which Elise has tickets. We’re sent the wrong way, Elise goes for a sixer with her high heels and camera are we at last find the entrance. But beacuase I’m wearing shorts, they force me to change into my dress in public. Can’t help myself to ask the security guy to help with the zip who suddenly gets performance anxiety with all the cameras going crazy! Oh la la. Elise comes to the rescue and we bolt without glamour up the red carpet, schedules and cameras in hand.
Post film we’re off to the l’Oréal party for an interview with celebrity party host Nicholas Ullman.
Pop into the Sleeping Beauty beach terrace party and meet the European distributers and some Australian contingents.
DAY THREE
Elise wakes me up (with a camera!) at 7am for an 8am breakfast function at Screen Australia to welcome the first timers. Dark sunglasses are necessary.
Race off to interview Julia Leigh for Sleeping Beauty then Dylan cuts the piece together for Screen Australia- in the mix is Dylan’s red carpet footage that I’m glad is great as my feet as still blistered.
DAY FOUR
Wake at 4am with throbbing feet- had taken heels off to sprint for 15 minutes along the pavement to get Dylan’s red carpet pass by 4pm yesterday and burnt the life out off my feet- the blisters now popped and becomming infected. Will I spend the rest of Cannes in a wheelchair?! Pray!
Go for what will become daily 8am dip the sea with Elise to wash out feet, cut them open in shower to get out dirt, disinfect and bandaid. Thank god for sea water, they are on the mend!
See Toomelah by Iven Sen and witness the incredible audience response. View our interview here
Attend and cover the co-production luncheon between Australia, Denmark, the UK and Canada at a beach terrace.
Screen Australia function. Some filming and some moments of delirious giggling with some of the girls. Already?!
DAY FIVE
Dylan cuts the second Toomelah piece for SBS after wonderfully generous and authentic interviews from the cast and crew. Click here.
DAY SIX
The much anticipated film by Terence Malick, ‘The Tree of Life’ screens today. We’ve been asking industry members what they are anticipating and now wait for audiences to leave first screenings for their responses for our SBS piece- click here.
Go to see Justin Kurzel’s Snowtown. I’m not good with violence and the waves of audiences leave with each murder. A hard film but very well made. Interviewing Justin and cast tomorrow and have already chatted to the wonderful editor Veronika Jenet (The Piano, Rabbit Proof Fence, The Black Balloon..).
DAY SEVEN
I’m sick and half lost my voice! Load up on lemon, drops, salt gargling, asprin and mandarins before heading to do Snowtown interviews with Elise.
Next it’s off to meet French actor Eriq Ebouaney (who Elise sometimes coaches) for a champagne on the roof of the palais to talk about networking for our next Screen Australia piece. We walk back to the Majestic with him and discover Cannes- star style!
Shoot across to Canal Plus to interview Audrey Tautou for her film ‘Beautiful Lies’ which is not in the Cannes selection but will be released in Australia in June. Luckily I saw the comedy on Air France on the way to Paris. We’re intending on doing the interview in English but on overhearing the Australian journalist before us and her responses, decide French would be better so frantically translate questions in a couple of minutes and hope voice holds out!
DAY EIGHT
Voice is just holding up so gargling bees wax drops every hour and unsuccessfully trying not to talk between shoots. Interview actor Gerard James and producer Jamie Hilton for the how smooth networking piece.
DAY NINE
Elise arranges red carpet passes for me and her friend for the Almodovar. Great experience and they’re all there, with Jean Paul Gaultier who did the costumes. Meet up with the Reuters crew I met earlier when storming down the croisette after being quoted 400 euros to have my ten minute Audrey Tautou itv transferred. They’re going to transfer it for me, so go buy them some rosé and hook up. They’re still at an Italian restaurant so join then as does Elise and they’re super. Chat and sip rosé then head off to the Semaine de la Critiques party where Veronika has invited us. It’s full when we get there. Elise sneaks in and Veronika goes to get Justin. Can’t deal with party rejection right now and realise I am indeed opposite the grand hotel so stride in to frock up a bit more in the toilets where I meet a lovely American producer who invites me to join her table. Veronika, Ray and Elise and finally the Snowtown crew come over and it’s lovely. The American producer I met in the bathroom says she can help me find a producer for one of my projects and to to call her tomorrow. So luckily I didn’t get into the beach party!
DAY TEN
Editing, editing, running, running.
Accompany Dylan to Circe and Rough Beast BBQ on John Hewitt’s balcony and meet some great Swedish filmmakers, chat with the ever bouyant producer Lizzette Atkins (Circe filme) and don’t do my voice any wonders. Meanwhile, Elise is drowning in Lars Von Trier’s Melancholia.
DAY ELEVEN
Media scandal over the Lars Von Trier Nazi comment from the press conference. Here’s the indiewire report with links about the ‘event’. Though Paris doesn’t hear that much about it due to the larger political scandal with the president to be…
Interview Nash Ederton for his short Bear and then make a quick trip to the short film corner.
Chat to the Screen Australia heads about the trends and successes of 2011.
Interview French director Jacque Maillot, Australian film critic Stephanie Bunbury, industry members and punters for predictions on tomorrow’s winners.
While Elise is having a quick meeting at the Grand meet her meeting’s freind Annie Wright who is a hoot and tells me her Tarantino story. We’re going to hook up in Paris. It just goes to show that the best connections are more often random.
DAY TWELVE
Was meant to go out last night but pass out half way through the Audrey Tatou translation with Elise and poor Elise and Dylan were up past two editing.
Try to work out if Australia is going to win any prizes so we can do a wrap piece for tv. Get ready incase then go to Screen Australia office for a sweep!
No Australian awards but here are the successes:
See the wrap up video blog here
Leave early to go back to see Dylan who is eiditing the prediction piece for SBS. It’s now up- Cick here.
Pack!
DAY ONE POST CANNES
No rest for the wicked- we finish edit the Audrey Tautou piece on the TGV.
TGV editing snapped on iphone by Elise McLeod
I’m now in Paris and still alive thanks to Dynamo Dylan Behan on the editing, the ever enthusiastic Elise McLeod on directing; Fiona Williams and Tim Irons from SBS, Jackson, Jain, Martha, Kathleen, Clare and everyone from Screen Australia; Antigone, Peta Gammie and Jamel Boukabou for the music; Anne & Pauline from the press office; Jan & Hacene, Pacino, L’Oréal and Dessange Paris (how will I live without you?!).
