As every year, working in the film sector, I had the opportunity to visit the Cannes Film Festival. I love the magical atmosphere that you breathe in those days, where you talk about cinema and actors, where armies of photographers invade the Croisette in search of VIPs, photographing at the same time the most sumptuous and original clothes or the most peculiar and eccentric characters. This year Cannes has not disappointed expectations, despite the bad weather that has negatively marked the weekend that has just ended.
Maybe the cold and rain have not favoured the fashion shows that usually animate the area in front of the red carpet, or maybe the crisis that has been affecting the cinema for years is beginning to be felt more than expected. It is a long way from the time of my first visit to the Cannes Film Festival, when Bollywood producers had actresses and actors parade on the back of elephants to promote their colossal film. And I also miss those nice anarchists of the Troma who, not invited to participate, created a fun anti-festival with figures who wore the costumes of the heroes of their trash movies. Nor have we seen the endless processions of sports cars and luxury cars just to appear and have a few minutes of glory.
So, the atmosphere was perhaps more subdued and less tending to excess, but it was still as magical as ever. I was able to attend the premiere on Saturday, May 12, with a female war film, "Les filles du soleil", directed by Eva Husson and which tells the story of a Kurdish female battalion prepares to take back their town from extremists.
The screening was preceded by a delegation of 82 female stars in an unprecedented red-carpet protest at the Cannes Film Festival to demand equal pay and an end to sexual harassment. I was able to admire wonderful stars like Kate Blanchett, Kristen Stewart, Lea Seydoux, Salma Hayek just a stone's throw from me.
