A large white Samoyed arrives on the steps of the palace. Panic among the agents. The animal is finally allowed to enter the room. “It must be a very important dog,” concludes a festival-goer. On the red carpet, Arnaud Desplechin smiles like a child, Melvil Poupaud signs autographs with the aplomb of Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard dressed in a short black dress catches the eye. On screen, Brother and Sister highlights the dictatorship of neuroses in our lives. The director, he confides, is inspired by his own experience. Is there a psychoanalyst in the room?
On the Croisette, a local rapper tries to attract attention. The bow ties feed on Lebanese sandwiches (the nearest restaurant ships 350 a day). A guy hanging on the phone sells a miracle cure for osteoarthritis, a passing producer asks to know more. It could be the start of a storyline. All in white, Frédéric Beigbeder looks like a New Age guru. He plays sales reps for his brand of vodkas. Marco Mouly, the scammer who became king of self-promotion, cuddles Patrick Timsit live on Instagram. The Cannes frenzy has begun.
A crowd watches as the stars ascend to the terrace of the JW Marriott hotel. Up there, Alex Lutz and Leïla Bekhti stroll around like a regular, Renaud Capuçon hides behind his cigar, Eddy de Pretto is getting his hair done. Bertrand Usclat and the elegant Pauline Clément observe the surroundings. We are waiting for their parody of the Cannes fauna. Clara Luciani takes the stage. “The rest, I leave it to you,” she repeats. Thierry Frémaux is moved. This concert hosted by the rowdy Rossi de Palma celebrates the twenty years of these very cozy places created by Albane Cleret, specialist in events. Benjamin Biolay slips into the piano: “If you like rainy evenings, my child, my child…” The chords in E minor stretch into the night.
Cinema musicians would like the importance of their profession to be recognized in broad daylight. “The composer is the third author of a film. For years, we have been working to raise awareness at the festival, explains SACEM boss Patrick Sigwalt. We have the benevolent listening of Pierre Lescure and Thierry Frémaux, who want to give more space to music”. The leader is now hopeful that a reward will be included in the list. It would shed more light on the profession than the already existing Cannes Soundtrack prize. To celebrate this evolution, an official climb of the steps will bring together twenty-nine composers this Sunday. Among them, Gabriel Yared, Alexandre Desplat and Amine Bouhafa.
Bouhafa has signed the soundtrack for five films screened in parallel selections, including Les Harkis, Alma Viva and, this Saturday, Sous les figs by Franco-Tunisian Erige Sehiri. A first feature film, which requires “more audacity, therefore gives more pleasure in creation.” The 30-year-old was touched by the particular light that bathes the orchards where the young heroines work. “In general, the narration inspires me less than the cinematographic device. I take the time to watch the film several times, before detaching myself from it to live with its memory. I’m looking for what it evokes to me”, explains Amine Bouhafa, César in 2015 for the best music for Timbuktu. And future nominee at Cannes?
