1996 Cannes Film Festival Diaries
Diary #3 - May 8, Day -1

by Henri Béhar

CANNES -- Computer snafu. Can't get on-line. Bummer. Today's a national holiday, everything is closed. Frantic phone calls. In Antibes, some Irish-born PC experts can help. Scoot all the way in the pouring rain, then back. Drenched to the bone, but kinks ironed out. Hopefully.

At the expanded Majestic Bar (faux Egyptian, you sip your gin and tonic under a lifesize King Tut *au naturel*), chief bartender Patrick is in full swing. A whole bunch of bleary-eyed Americans have landed--they're called the "Delta crowd", because they took the New York-Nice Delta flight.

"My God, you're here! When did you arrive? How long are you staying?" "Do you have a film here?" "Where's the party?" The same questions, a thousand times, as whoever asks you looks around just in case someone more important than you has arrived, has a film, knows where the party is. The Festival has indeed started.

"How do I get into the Palais (the Festival Hall)" "You need a badge." "Where do I get the badge?" "Third floor at the Palais." "How do I get in the bleeping Palais?" "Use the first-day pass that was mailed to you." "I left it in New York (or L.A., or Dallas). Oh, the French! Don't they drive you nuts?!"

Huh?

"Have you seen Francis?"

If you're "in", no need for last names. If you're not--Cannes 101--just pretend. No, *Monsieur* Coppola, president of this year's jury, has not reached Cannes yet. He is somewhere in Burgundy being honored both as wine-maker and wine-taster. But most other jurors have arrived: "Day For Night" 's Nathalie (Baye) is here, and "Jefferson in Paris" 's Greta (Scacchi), and visual artist Eiko Ishioka (best-costume Oscar-winner for Francis's "Dracula"), and "Exotica" director Atom Egoyan.

"Do you think Cimino will get the Golden Palm for Best Film? Or Andre ("Wild Reeds") Techine?" Guys! How about we wait until we (and the jury) see the films?