Cannes Sketches: Stars at the feet of film god

 May 24, 2012 - 17:19 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Jubilee Cannes Film Festival honored the legendary French director, the 89-year-old Alain Resnais. No words are enough to describe the respect the cult helmer had been shown at the film fest.

Even before Resnais completed work at "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet", it was clear that the drama will be featured in Cannes’ main competition program, with the fact that Resnais made it being a good enough reason.

At the festival, maestro was literary carried in the arms of admirers. Once Resnais was brought to a photoshoot, the photographers put their cameras aside to welcome him with hailstorms of applause. The master received the same welcome anywhere he went, with his 24 bodyguards trying to shield him from a crowd by asking broken English to show respect to their “film god.”

The master appeared on top of the stairs on the red carpet, spreading out his arms like a bird and called up to the stars of his film. They went up the stairs, holding his legs, kissing him while cameras were flashed at them from every side, and the group was deluged with the fans’ ruptured cheers, while the rain was pouring on and on.

Thomas Vinterberg's competition film “The Hunt” was screened on the same evening. The Danish director's film follows the story of a small-town witch hunt triggered by a child's allegation of abuse, takes in sensitive subjects including masculinity, male-female relations and the presumed innocence of children.

The helmer explained the somber mood prevailing in the movie, “you’d instantly understand why I’m shooting this kind of films, were you to stay for at least a couple of months in Denmark.”

The following morning, French fans were cheering away for immensely popular Brad Pitt, who was at Cannes with his new film “Killing Them Softly.”

Another favorite at the film fest is Michael Haneke's “Amour”(Love), predicted to win a number of awards.

The good news is: our prayers were heard – its finally sunny at Cannes. Halelluyah!