So I know you’ve all been wondering where all my updates from Cannes were this year. Last year, I did a pretty intensive journal and wrote most of my reviews during the festival itself.
Well, no one year at Cannes is quite like the other (or so I’ll generalize from my two years at the festival). This year, the movies were better, the experience was better, and the time was maximized. Not that my readers and my writing isn’t important. But all my writing can get done later – the festival is there for 12 days and then it’s gone.
It also didn’t help that my Wi-Fi was poor at the hotel where I stayed. I could have written from my phone like I did last year, but that got me into a number of binds where I was low on battery at crucial moments – and I wasn’t too keen to repeat those instances. If I had to worry about conserving my phone battery, it could limit my opportunities. I also could have brought my laptop into Cannes, but it would be bulky and could get stolen.
Plus, this year’s festival was pretty simple for me. I worked, I ate, and I saw movies. 25 of them, to be exact. (Paradise for me, right?!)
I also had to sign a confidentiality agreement for my employer this year, so that limited what I could write about. Rather than tell tales of eating yet another Nutella banana crepe or waiting in yet another line, I figured I would spare myself the effort to journal. And at the same time, you all would be spared my monotony.
And yes, the festival did end 5 days ago – but I’ve been in transit getting from France to home to school. I’ve been living on planes and out of suitcases. It’s been exhausting, and I normally get too drained to write reviews. But starting tomorrow, June 1, I will begin to document my thoughts on the Cannes titles I saw. You’ll get my opinions, don’t you worry. A little later than Variety or The Hollywood Reporter, sure. But if all you want is immediacy, then you probably shouldn’t read me anyways.
Thanks for your patience. I hope you enjoy the sneak preview of a fantastic year in cinema that awaits!
