Three Days in Cannes
A guest dispatch from the Côte d'Azur.
A note from the proprietor
This is the week that the three biggest fall film festivals begin announcing their lineups. Toronto went yesterday, Venice did theirs today, and one can assume that tomorrow, New York will follow up with their Main Slate. But no one would deny that the most prestigious festival is Cannes, where a good chunk of the year’s most anticipated titles premiered in late May.
A couple years ago I got to attend the Festival du Cannes, thanks to their Three Days in Cannes program. It’s a special accreditation for young cinephiles and anyone can apply: you just have to love movies and be between the ages of 18 and 28. It was a truly life-changing experience and highly recommend attending next year if you qualify. Sadly, I have aged out, but my friend Byron went this year and is here to share his experience. Very excited to have this be the first guest post1 in Buttered Popcorn history!
Mise en Plage
Written by Byron Lo. Edited by Andrew Truong.
This was my second time at the Cannes Film Festival. As the train pulled in, I was greeted by the alluring blue of the Mediterranean sea, its familiar shimmer a warm welcome back. I got there for the final three days of the festival, but the Croisette was still buzzing: celebrities and filmgoers were decked out in tuxedos and ballgowns at noon while press photographers crawled through the crowds, cameras slung over their shoulders. And of course, there were the ticketless, dressed in black-tie hours before showtime, walking around with cardboard signs hoping someone has an extra ticket to that evening’s premieres. (To my surprise, this has a high success rate!)
Cannes is both dazzling and exhausting. You’re crushing a sandwich from PAUL (my favorite: Le Savoureux), and an hour later you’re buttoned up into a tux, walking up the red carpeted steps of the Palais.
Traveling solo, I was grateful to meet dozens of fellow cinephiles and industry friends, all of us coming from near and far but speaking the same language: film. (As well as English, which I took for granted given my glaring inability to speak their native tongues.) These were the people with whom I’d sneak a quick drink in between all those movies and press conferences. After our last screening of the day, we’d go out clubbing and usually end up on the beach—barefoot in the cold sand, beer in hand, looking out at the night sky.
Since I was only in Cannes for three days (the entire festival lasts twelve), my objective was to squeeze in as many films as possible. There was a day in which I saw five movies. Screenings start as early as 8:30 AM and the last one can get out as late as 2 AM. It’s a long day but you can’t rest tomorrow. Rinse and repeat. In some instances I’d exit a theatre, take a loop around, and line up for a screening at that exact venue. For each location, I strategically identified the nearest tabac that could whip up a quick café allongé, which would be my fuel for the next two hours.
You might be wondering how anyone can stay awake. I’ll be the first to say: you don’t. Turn on the lights in the middle of any screening at Cannes; you’ll see an unhealthy number of half-conscious festivalgoers, all fighting to keep their eyes open. You’ll also see the real ones who succumbed to the sweet envelope of darkness that only a cinema can provide, transported to Neverland. During several films, I personally found myself snoozing for at least ten minutes (please forgive me, Wes Anderson).
Crammed schedules, jetlag, and (for the critics) deadlines to file reviews. I’m not sure that the festival format is the best way to honor a film and the people who made it. But we still look forward to doing this every year. Rinse and repeat.
On the last day of Cannes, a massive power outage swept through the city, abruptly halting screenings and leaving hundreds of attendees stranded outside darkened theaters. I took the chance to wander around town. Supermarkets were pitch black, cafés only accepted cash to purchase the sandwiches now warming up in their fridges. It was chaotic, eerie, and a little poetic. People groaned about missing the films they had so eagerly anticipated, which is understandable. It might be months before getting the opportunity to see some of these titles. But I couldn’t help thinking: sure this sucks, but we still have it pretty damn good. You forget after spending hours inside a cinema that we’re in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Let’s grab a beer and hit the beach. And that’s exactly what I did with my festival friends.
Over the course of three days, I watched twelve films. These were my standouts:
Resurrection – Bi Gan continues to show why he’s one of the most exciting directors working today. His follow-up to Long Day’s Journey Into Night, famous for its dreamlike, jaw-dropping 59 minute one-shot, ups the ante. Resurrection is a 160 minute love letter to Chinese cinema filled with dreamlike shots, mystical beings, and relentlessly innovative storytelling. By the end of the first act, I was ready to give a standing ovation. In true Cannes fashion, Bi finished the film just two days before its premiere; the end credits hadn’t even been assembled.
Sentimental Value – Joachim Trier returns with another subtly affecting portrait of familial connection, memory, and regret. The Norwegian filmmaker brings together familiar collaborators, including Worst Person in the World breakout Renate Reinsve and Kasper Tuxen, who provides luminous cinematography. There are also new faces like Stellan Skarsgård and Elle Fanning. He has a gift for portraying emotional realism, where conversations, fleeting glances, and raw emotions linger long after the final frame. I found myself thinking about this one on the bus all the way back to my Airbnb, where I cracked open a bottle of Cinsault and drank my feelings away.
It Was Just an Accident – A well-deserved Palme d’Or winner, this film comes to us from Jafar Panahi, who has been imprisoned twice by Iranian authorities and faced a 20-year ban on filmmaking as punishment for speaking out against the government. It’s a simmering meditation on justice and revenge, where every scene drips with rage, building toward a final act that delivered one of the most unforgettable endings of the festival.
Seen at Cannes
Day One
Nouvelle Vague ★★★★
Eleanor the Great ★★★
Sentimental Value ★★★★
It Was Just an Accident ★★★★
Day Two
Eddington ★★½
Alpha ★★★
Resurrection ★★★★½
Day Three
The Secret Agent ★★★★
Die My Love ★★★½
Sirat ★★★★
The Phoenician Scheme ★★★½
The Mastermind ★★★½
Byron Lo is a devoted cinephile who works in hospitality consulting. He has plans to host a year-long screening series where each of Éric Rohmer’s Tales of the Four Seasons are paired with a sandwich. He lives in Brooklyn.
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Did a double take when I saw Byron’s name pop up! More of these collabs in the future!
My favorite duo <3 congrats Byron on a fun post!