Who, what, when, where, why?
So as many of you may be wondering, "Why in the heck would Ali publish her opinions on things people really don't care about for the whole entire world to see? Doesn't she know we're just going to stop following her on Twitter?!" The truth is, I'm willing to accept that 3, 4, maybe even 5 of you will no longer get to enjoy the daily recounts of how good my bagels are but I swear y'all this blog is for real, legitimate reasons this time! I'll be studying abroad in Cannes, France from May 11th to June 7th. While there my fellow students and I will be viewing and immersing ourselves in the festival and all it has to offer. I've started this blog not only as part of the course I'll be taking while there, but also as a way to share with you all how much more fun I'm having during my summer! Enjoy!
The Lion, the Witch and the HOLY CRAP IS THAT WES ANDERSON!?
It's been quite a whirlwind adventure (pardon the cliche) over the last week since I've been here. It's hard to believe that this time last week I was packing up my car and leaving Athens behind. Where to even begin?
How the beginning like all good stories should? I arrived here with about 10 other students that just magically ended up on my flight by some divine force of nature. We would have all been hopelessly lost without each other and much less inclined to order wine on the flight had we not met. After arriving in Nice and making our way to Juan le Pins we got to work right away picking out the most happening hotspots for all of our nightly activities. Zabata, a quaint little mexican inspired watering hole, sufficed for the first night. After becoming best friends with our bartender Gil, and having some delicious margaritas we walked down to the beach where we met our new best friends Daly and David. After a 3 liter bottle of awful Rosé we had become closer as a group. The next day as people trickled in throughout the afternoon excitement and nerves began to creep in. Am I really about to attend the Cannes Film Festival? Internationally regarded throughout the industry as THE place to display your film. This was happening to me?! Nahhh I'm probably at the dentist about to get my wisdom teeth pulled and the laughing gas is really taking affect.
After numerous unsuccessful attempts to pinch myself awake I decided to accept it as truth and prepare the best way I could, by texting someone to help me. 20 of us managed to cram ourselves into one tiny room as we poured over the market books which displayed the synopsis, location, and time of every screening. After 6 hours, 500 summaries, and 2 bottles of wine we had each chosen our desired schedule for the days ahead. Next stop Cannes.
As a HUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGEEEE Wes Anderson fan I knew that my one and only goal for the day was going to be getting in to that premiere. I woke up Wednesday morning fully packed and prepared for the day just to arrive at the train station and find that the train was delayed by 30 mins.
Lesson #1: Don't trust the trains.
Lesson #2: Your schedule never works out the way your planned. Go with it.
After invading just about everyones personal bubble on the overly-packed train and sprinting to the theater my friends and I finally made it to our first premiere, Detachment. Detachment is the story of an inner city school and the group of teachers, subs, parents, and students who inhabit it. It was very heavy but completely worth the asthma attack it took to get there. After having one screening under our belt we went on to the next and the next and the next. After a while you don't really hear the shouting in your head telling you that you need food or that you're tired. All you know if that if you don't sit down in front of another screen soon you're gonna go Hulk on somebody! By the time that I couldn't feel my eyeballs I knew I needed to turn it. I made my way to the American Pavillion, a closed off area where Americans in the Market can go and get food, drinks, and hob nob in english. It's a mini slice o' paradise.
Fully rested and repatriated we decided to begin the humiliating yet rewarding process of begging for tickets. Certain movies at the festival are being premiered for the very first time on the screens of Cannes. For these movies, they reserve the red carpet and the majestic Lumiere Theater. These screenings are impossible to get into if you don't have a badge and a ticket. Lucky for us, we have a badge. . . just no tickets. That's where "begging", or as I like to call it, "guilting", comes in. You get all fancied up then you hit the streets with a sign and a smile asking anyone in a tux for "une billet supplementaire". With half of the street population doing this the odds are not in your favor unless your a very attractive girl, (I think you know where I'm going with this). As a very attractive girl all it takes is a simple "hello!" and I'll have a ticket in hand, or so I thought. Turns out there are a lot of attractive people in France. Who'da thunk?! Long story short, I sat on the grassy knoll and watched as all my hopes and dreams walked up the red carpet without me. My beloved Wes, Bill, Bruce, Eva Longoria for some reason, and all the students who managed to get tickets.
I along with a few other unfortunate souls all found our way back to the AmPav and proceeded to swap stories about our attempts at scoring tickets. Around 9:45 we were being shepherded out of the area and decided to go home with our tails between our legs and wait for our chances tomorrow. As we began walking back across the knoll we were stopped by a barrier and a very red carpet. We had some how stumbled upon not only the Moonrise Kingdom after party but also the entrance to that after party. Any star coming in had to walk right in front of me. There we stayed till 11 pm watching every member of the cast and a few extra celebs walk inches away. Just as I had gotten all the star struck out of me I notice a talk skinny long-haired man approaching. Could it be? Oh hell yes it could! Wes Anderson himself in the flesh right here. A stream of questions and shrieks whizzed through my head.
"Do I look okay? Did I put on deodorant this morning? I didn't did I? It's okay Ali you always smell good no matter what! Why did I have to eat those sour cream and onion chips!?"
As he walked by I knew this was my only chance. "Wes!" I shouted, "Wes Anderson!" He turned around, saw my group of friends and I and began walking over. "Mr. Anderson I'm one of your biggest fans! I love all of your work I've seen everything you've ever made even Bottle Rocket! You're the reason why I want to work in the film industry. Last night I watch the Life Aquatic to prepare for the premiere today. I can't believe this!"
That is what I wish I had said. Instead a stream of 12 year old girl consciousness came out and I said all of that in a jumble of squeals and giggles. Whatever! Like any of you could keep yourself composed a time like that!
"That's so nice of you, thank you so much miss. You chose a great movie to help you prepare. I hope you get a chance to see the movie tonight." He replied.
His voice was like weird honey. Sweet but quirky, just like him. He handed me my program back with his signature and let a small smile slip across his face as he walked away and just like that Wes was gone.
Day...Something?: I swear I didn't forget about y'all!
Over the last 2 and a half weeks I ate, slept, and straight up breathed Cannes. When I wasn't checking a train schedule, chugging a nesspresso, being yelled at by a guy in a tan suit, or falling asleep in a red cushy chair I felt like part of me was missing. Which is why 3 days ago when the festival finally ended and my group and I boarded the train back home to Juan I felt an overwhelming sadness wash over me. Sure I could finally go to bed before 3 am, and sure I wouldn't have to spend 2 hours each day standing in the streets begging for premiere tickets, but what's the point in life without a little struggle?!
The festival was such a world-wind experience I can barely remember most of it. I saw a total of 26 films. I probably won't even watch films for the rest of this year! Most of them were incredible and some were...well...less than stelar but I only slept through like maybe 15 so there's something!
Class so far has been surprisingly interesting, although you'd never guess by my inability to stay awake every morning. I personally blame the bottomless hell-hole that is Skype but I suppose you can also blame me not taking responsibility for my own actions blah blah blah.
Yah, yah, so sue me!
Well my time in France has finally come to an end and I suppose it's fitting that I suddenly find myself with the urge to blog on the very last day in the very last hours. What can I say? I hate myself and I love myself. This trip has been incredible. It's been weird. It's been expensive. Most of all it's been unbelievable. I can't tell you the number of times we had to physically stop ourselves, sometimes in the middle of streets, and say "I'm in the French Riviera. I'm viewing films at the Cannes Film Festival. I just heard Robert Pattinson cough! I hope he's not coming down with something. Rob? Do you need a cough drop or a sucker?? " Okay maybe not those exact words but we all said something to that effect at one point or another. It doesn't matter how long I sit here and try to explain to you what the trip was like, I'll never be able to get it all in (That's what she said. Sorry mom.) In order to even begin to understand this life you have to live it and you have to give it everything you have. Don't back away from a challenge, don't turn away because things are foreign. If a tan suit tells you "No!" just shout in your most intimidating voice "My colleagues are in there!" Walk through the streets by yourself. Eat a crepe or 2 or 8! You can be anything and act anyway as long as you aren't breaking any international laws.
I'm going to miss attempting to speak in broken French, the train rides, the hiking up hill, the cities and the streets. I'm going to miss my teachers and the Beavs. I'm going to miss my classmates and all of their hilarious stories. I'm going to miss so much about this trip but what I take away is the feeling that I now have a direction for where I want to be in life. I want to be in this industry. I want to make films and I want to watch them. I want to eat, sleep, and breathe cinema. I honestly could not think of anything I'd rather spend my time on more.
As the sappiness tank is about to overflow I'll cut this short. Make a movie. Go to Cannes. Be apart of something you love. Don't stop till they notice you. Don't stop even after they do. Keep on keepin on.
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