Today, on the first real day of celebration, it was at 10 am “World premiere in the morning occupied city. This was a “closed show” but when I checked five minutes before the start to see if there were any tickets left, I was able to enter. Ahead of the start, festival director Thierry Frémaux recalled 2008, when the Steve McQueen film debuted starving In the second competition Unconfirmed was shown – and finally won the Caméra d’or, the Best Debut Award and the Fipresci Award, the International Film Criticism Award.

That’s why he announced Steve McQueen, who made his microphone do a double somersault when he entered the stage. “I was here fifteen years ago with Thierry and Michael Fassbender; I shed a tear, it was beautiful,” said the British director in Amsterdam. “The first time is always best. It was very special… I said to Thierry: next time in the Golden Palm competition, but guess what, it didn’t happen. It doesn’t matter. But the way it goes, we’ll keep it to ourselves, won’t we, Thierry? “

He then introduced his wife Bianca Steiger and producer Floor Onrust (‘Unrest’), after which Onrust introduced the rest of the crew present. “That’s what happened,” McQueen said, but Fremo had another question: “This city, Amsterdam, is your city, isn’t it?” McQueen replied, “That’s right.” “I’ve lived there for 27 years.” “And is that why you wanted to make this movie?” Then Frémaux wanted to know. As an artist and director, sometimes topics are actually right on your doorstep. You don’t always have to travel far to see something new. This story was literally up for grabs. So here we are: occupied city. “

Several toilets in the hall
“OKThanks, beaucoupAnd“ Frémaux said, but then it was McQueen who wanted to say something else. “My apologies, but I have one very important announcement: The film will run for four and a half hours and there will be a 15-minute intermission. There are toilets on either side of the auditorium and three toilets outside the auditorium; one on the left and two on the right. Thank you.” McQueen and Onrast stood aside, gesturing like henchmen and flight attendants pointing to emergency exits.

Then it’s time to occupied city (The film will be released in the Netherlands as occupied cityDutch voice). It’s a fascinating evocation, in which Stigter’s stories of traitors and war heroes are illustrated with contemporary images of the places discussed. It’s beautifully shot by Lennert Hillege, and the editing by Xander Nijsten, who compressed 130 hours of film into every beat, is also commendable. Not a very long second, by the way; The penetrating stories fully justify the length.

Spitting on journalists
The transition was great, but then occupied city I had to quickly go to the press conference for Jean Barry. The front row is completely closed off, something I’ve never experienced in Cannes. Perhaps it was so that Johnny Depp could not be attacked, as someone suggested – after all, on the evening of the premiere, there was already a demonstration against his arrival. Maybe it’s just that Maïwenn can’t spit on journalists, someone else joked. “orders from above” reported lady press.

Fifteen minutes later, Didier Allouche, who had been appointed to officiate the press conference, began to apologize in more detail, in French and English. They are almost there. they are there, How about some housekeeping? After a good twenty minutes he announces that the press conference will begin, but without Johnny Depp. The first questions were directed at Maïwenn. Among other things, she said, she also considered French actors for the role of Louis XV, but they couldn’t or didn’t want to and because she had to have an actor, they decided in the end only “sexy actor.

Deb still
Forty minutes later, Deb entered against all odds. And he was looking forward to it. He commended Maïwenn for daring to defeat Louis XV b “hillbilly from Kentucky“ To play, he spoke kindly of his French lesson (“My French teacher made me pull out the weirdest faces, but I still love them”) and stories about him: “Most of the last five years they’ve written about me in the media are horribly written fictional novels.” Dib does not see his presence in Cannes as a return. “I live 45 minutes from here. Yeah, people stopped calling me at some point, but I haven’t gone anywhere. I feel like I have to prove myself here, and I also have to do a little dance for you and hope you like it. It’s a weird mystery.” “.

Oh yeah, I watched more movies too: Anselm is a 3D documentary special by German veteran Wim Wenders (who won the Golden Palm Award in 1984 with Paris Texas) about the great paranoid artist (and compatriot) Anselm Kiefer. The day ended with a sample To the Japanese master Hirokazu Kore-eda (winner of the Palme d’Or 2018 with thieves; It was last year mediator So far in Cannes), a tender cross between RashomonAnd the hunt And Close. By the way, the day started with a few lengths of front crawl in the Mediterranean – then it couldn’t go wrong.