Limelight: Romp on the Riviera By Lubna Abdel-Aziz That spicy, zesty, "lusty month of May" means many things to many people around the globe. The Northern Hemisphere celebrates the peak of the Spring season with garden shows, flower shows, fashion shows, or special days as May Day, People's Day, Worker's Day, Labour Day, Mother's Day. To the film industry it means only one thing -- glitzy days, glamorous nights, in short a rapturous romp on the Riviera, the jewel of France with The Cannes International Film Festival, held in mid-month (11-22 May) for a dozen or so euphoric days of glorious enchantment. The south of France wakes up from a long winter's nap to don its finest Spring attire, spray its fragrant aromatic bouquet, sharpen its perfect sense of savoir- faire in readiness for their grand fiesta. Their golden portals open to welcome over 200,000 visitors, tourists, pleasure seekers, and cinefiles, who come to watch the parade of stars of the film world as they climb those magic steps of the red carpet to the Palais des Festival, the closest thing to cinema heaven. For the past 58 years Festival de Cannes has an annual rendezvous with the élite of the industry, the great, the would-be- great, and the would-do- anything-to-be-great. They come and they come in droves and clusters to the home of the world's grandest festival. A total of over 30,000 cinema professionals -- distributors, producers, directors, technicians, the media, and of course the shimmering glimmering stars as well as a legion of visitors, meet in Cannes to watch 900 screenings at the Palais. In 2004, 3,500 members of the press, 2,612 companies, 2,640 producers, 8,814 participants, 1,450 buyers, from 74 countries awakened the city with a jolt. The numbers increase every year as the festival continues to be a paragon of perfection. They come to warm their bodies on its golden sandy beaches, to taste its exquisite cuisine, to sip its delicious wines, and to top it all with a variety of sumptuous deserts, wrapped in colourful celluloid. Film is their business, film is their pleasure, and they are served a steady diet of impeccable taste as only the French can offer. The exotic fare is almost always surprising and refreshing. Sometimes it tickles the palate, other times it smacks the lips, leaving a bitter after-taste that lingers, but most times it leaves a pleasant savoury taste that also lingers. Cannes exerts a year-long effort to reach the perfect pitch of variety and excellence. With over 20 million euros budget in 11 days, Cannes reaches its goal with grace and ease. But although it may all look so effortless, it takes a great deal of hard work for a whole calendar year by an army of dedicated officials to achieve such flawless results. Of the 64 official selections competing in the various categories, the most important is the "Competition" of feature films. This year 20 films from 12 countries are competing for Cannes' gold -- its Palme d'Or. Feature films shown in the "Out of Competition" category are very often the festival's show-stoppers. This year Star Wars Episode III, Revenge of the Sith, is holding its world premiere not at New York or London, but at the Cannes Film Festival 12 May, released worldwide 20 May. Opening night was reserved by the French for one of their own. Dominic Moll, a French director of the Hitchcock-mould presented his psychological thriller Lemming, focussing on the foibles of two couples with France's darling "Charlottes", delicious enough to eat, Gainsbourg and Rampling. The stunning surprise of the season is an entry from war-torn Iraq, which has all the critics buzzing. Kilometre Zero, the first Iraqi film ever to enter in competition, is directed by Hiner Saleem, himself a Kurd, which explores the Kurdish/Arab relations in Iraq. Châpeau to Cannes for acquiring such an unparalleled, rare gem. A showcase for the world's best filmmaking, Cannes roams the globe all year in search of the creative, the original, the daring, and the challenging. It is known to take risks with new director/ auteurs, but in most cases their gamble has paid off handsomely. Among their many successes were such beginners as Stephen Soderbergh, Quentin Tarantino, Gus Van Sant, Ken Loach, Barbet Schroeder and many others who have gone on to success and fame following their introduction at Cannes. A selection at this prestigious festival, or better still a prize, can translate into respect, renown, prestige, not to mention "big bucks". The Jury members of every category are exceptional this year. The "Competition" Jury in particular is headed by Serbian director Emil Kusturica, himself a two-time Palme d'Or winner, with members from Spain -- the brilliant actor Javier Bardem, from Mexico the lovely Selma Hayek, from China-- the talented director John Woo. Other Juries are headed by American director Alexander Payne " Un Certain Regard", whose small budget Sideways was last season's runaway hit. Egyptian director Yousri Nasrallah serves on the jury for "Cinéfondation", and Iranian director Abbas Kiorastami, a Palmarés winner and a Cannes favourite is president of the Cannes d'Or jury. Among the many side dishes or "side-bars" of special events at Cannes are its retrospectives, homages, and salutes to cinema's finest, dead or alive. Apart from the homage to Mexican cinema, Cannes classics and its inaugural of the world's Cinema "Tous les Cinemas du Monde" and others, a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the death of legendary actor James Dean is a main attraction. With only three major films to his credit, this actor was able to mesmerize a generation, epitomising the youth's rebellion of the 1950s. His screen persona captivated a world of disillusionment. With his torment and pathos, he was able to break all cultural and racial barriers and penetrate the soul of a troubled post-war generation. His tragic death at 26 in a car accident has only added to his mystique making him an icon for the youth of his and of many generations that followed. A photo exhibit held at the La Salle Debussy, is attracting crowds of all ages, so is an unreleased documentary by Michael J Sheridan as well as the screening of two of his masterpieces East of Eden and Rebel Without a Cause (1955). This is the first tribute to James Dean to commemorate 50 years of his passing. More hats off to the Cannes officials for their alertness. "All the Cinemas of the World" -- "Tous les Cinema du Monde" a new addition to Cannes' sumptuous feast is hosting seven countries -- Morocco, South Africa, Mexico, Austria, Peru, Sri-Lanka, and the Philippines. President Gilles Jacob explains the festival's philosophy. "We are proud to promote the diversity and richness of a whole country's cinematographic production instead of, as is usual, with a selection process, one film and one director." Veronique Cayla, Festival director, adds: "the desire to bring the attention of industry professionals....to creations that have not crossed over the national borders". It is only when they do, that cinema fulfils its purpose of uniting the world, by speaking to the human heart in the international language of film." French actress Cécile de France will be master of ceremonies on opening and closing nights. The grande finale will feature the world premier of Martha Fiennes's Chromophobia, and then "au revoir" for another year. Once again Cannes proves that when it comes to honouring film, it is the world's arch of triumph. The art of film speaks one language of several dialects, like a rich banquet of many courses. Its genius lies in its simplicity, accessibility and popularity. Only in a movie theatre can you find prince and pauper sitting side by side, chilling at a Hitchcock moment, laughing at Laurel and Hardy, or humming with a Hollywood musical. France was the original home of film, born at the hands of the brothers Lumiére. It is only befitting therefore, that France can once a year claim film as its very own, in a setting as dazzling as Cannes on the Riviera. Holiday makers and filmmakers are enjoying a unique blend of work and play, the best this planet has to offer. Bravo Cannes, et milles merçis! "No art passes our conscience in the way film does, and goes directly to our feelings deep down into the dark rooms of our souls". Ingmar Bergman (1918-1939) Swedish film director
