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18.5.06 Cannesblog, Day 2: The DaVicodin Code

Quote of the day: "If you had one chance to bang Jennifer Connelly, would you be able to resist singing Bowie lyrics from Labyrinth at her while you were doing it?"

From a conversation among a bunch of my friends at the Petit Majestique; circa 10pm last night. For the record, we all voted "sing". We also accosted a bunch of hot Colombian TV journalist women because... one of them was carrying a camera, and we couldn't tell if it was the Sony or a Panny and we HAD TO KNOW. Ladies and gentlemen, this is what happens when directors get drunk. Plans were also hatched to do some transatlantic music videos, with an LA director I know filming motion-capture in Chapman's new studio, then me directing the animation side. This could be very cool.

Other things you should know about Cannes:

Glamour amidst chaos: As an indie filmmaker, you'll be staying in a tiny yet overpriced studio apartment at least 20 minutes walk from the Palais. As a female indie filmmaker, that walk will be in high heels.You will be sleeping not on a bed but on a chaise longue on a porch, or on a boat, or on the floor. Yet you still have to glam up and look fresh and rested when defending your casting choices to producers who are staying in the Martinez, or walking up the red carpet at one of the gala evening screenings.

Flirting: A huge number of attractive people of both sexes descend on Cannes during the festival with the single intention of bagging someone in the film industry. This is in no way a bad thing, especially as French men know how to flirt. When you overcome your squalid, cramped living conditions and hangover and lack of sleep and are rocking a good dress, to get a little feedback from random, attractive male strangers is great. Flirting is the harmless swapping of compliments and innuendo between strangers. It is one of life's great delights, like good conversation, clean white sheets and the smell of fresh-cut grass. Vive la France.

The Petit Majestique: A skanky bar behind the Grand Hotel that you can never find the second time, because you were so hammered the first time you went there. Has the dual virtues of cheap (for Cannes) beer and being open all night. The de facto late-night hangout of the indie set. Bless it, and all the daft drunken art v commerce or Truffaut vs Godard conversations you will have there.

Ups and Downs: As soon as you complain to your friends that you're worried it's all a waste of time, you will meet a nice, friendly American producer in the queue for DaVinci Code tickets who loves your film and its budget, and is from the city you want to film in so knows its tax breaks.

The red carpet: Because it makes you determined to come back one day and get your film in competition, so you can own it for a night.

Heidi MacDonald mentions my film in her column, The Beat, with a picture and everything. Thanks, Heidi!

Off to go walk around the Marché and approach likely production companies who have made things in my genre and budget range. Will be soul-destroying, but I don't care. Got good responses from some cold emails sent out based on scoping the dailies for potential producers and need to follow them up with visits to their Cannes offices. Plus, some of the companies sniffing round my film in LA seem to be doing more than sniffing now.

More tomorrow.

( 7:47 AM )

1 Comments:

Anyone who writes like you do deserves equally delightful flirting. Boy, you are a joy to read.
Beijo from a brazilian fan.
O.

By odyr, at 9:07 PM