News from Italy
Cannes Film Festival guide
by Andira Vitale
Le Festival International du Film de Cannes (le Festival de Cannes) is one of the world’s most essential and prestigious festivals, held annually. About 20 films compete with each other in Cannes, the leading showcase of European cinema. Pre-determined jury presidents and jury members award movies. The awards given at the festival are Palme d’Or, Grand Jury, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Short Film, Best Actor, Golden Camera, Best Actress, and Jury awards.
Festival born of political intervention.
The festival’s story, which was first held in 1946, begins in 1938. So, let’s return to the 1930s when cinema was an effective propaganda tool. We are in Italy under Mussolini; in that period’s political atmosphere, under pressure from Mussolini and Hitler, the Festival jury changes the prize winners in the last hours and announces the official results favouring a documentary about Nazi propaganda.
The reasons, such as the dominance of politics in the festival in Venice, the pressure of Hitler, the grand prizes going to allied Germany, and the fact that the French did not find what they expected from this festival, brought out the Cannes Film Festival.
After this event, the French diplomat and historian Philippe Erlanger developed the idea of organising a free festival without pressures and restrictions and made plans for it. When Jean Zay, the French Minister of Education at the time, supported this project, it was decided to hold the International Cannes Film Festival on September 1, 1939.
Louis Lumiére is leading the festival, which is scheduled for September 1-20 in the auditorium of the municipality’s garrison. Painter Jean Gabriel Domergue is preparing the official poster for the first festival. Hollywood movies also show interest in the festival. This all of a sudden made the Cannes Film Festival internationally famous. Some cinema circles and lovers attend Cannes in August to organise magnificent parties. Despite the preparations and the Hollywood stars preparing to cross the Atlantic, the festival was postponed for ten days when the Germans invaded Poland on September 1. When the situation worsens and war is declared on September 3, the festival ends before it even begins. The festival was cancelled due to the Second World War and was silent until 1946.
In July 1945, Philippe Erlanger revisited the idea of the festival. He is discussing this issue with the new director of French cinematography. However, the government and the Municipality of Cannes say that it is impossible to cover such an expense, citing the war economy. As such, the first festival is organised with donation funds. It started on September 20, 1946. This is the origin story of the Cannes Film Festival.
Here is the Cannes guide for those who will visit the famous resort during the festival and want to see the stars of the cinema world.
Here are some popular choices for celebs to enjoy their stay while attending the Cannes Film Festival. The lobbies of these hotels are like stargates. It is impossible not to see a famous movie star passing by these hotels close to the main event building where the red carpet ceremonies are held. You can witness a movie star getting out of the luxury vehicle in front of the hotel at any moment. The hotel rooms may have already been sold. That’s why you can make reservations at SPA or lobby restaurants. You can visit the lobbies and see famous names by making reservations in these social areas.
Grand Hyatt Cannes Hotel Martinez: Located on the Boulevard de la Croisette with stunning views overlooking the Bay of Cannes, the Grand Hyatt Cannes Hotel Martinez is not only a gorgeous destination but has long been a favourite for celebrities at Cannes Film Festival parties. The hotel boasts 409 luxury guestrooms, including 27 suites and one of the largest Penthouse Suites in Europe. The Grand Hyatt also has one of Croisette’s most extensive private beaches and a vast pontoon for mid-ocean sunbathing.
Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc: One of the most famous hotels in Cannes, this hotel hosts several star-studded parties, such as the amfAR benefit and De Grisogono jewellery party.
Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic is located on the Croisette and offers incredible views across the Mediterranean’s stretch of private beach.
InterContinental Carlton: This 106-year-old hotel has a rich history, having played host to stars including Grace Kelly – and was the venue for the actress’ first date with Prince Rainer during the Cannes Film Festival. It has a private beach and terraces with sea views and is just 900 yards from the Palais des Festivals, where the prestigious film festival occurs.
Cafes and restaurants
As a place synonymous with wealth and glamour, Cannes unsurprisingly spoils its visitors with a dazzling fine dining scene. From iconic eateries along the Croisette to Michelin-starred restaurants tucked away in the Provençal countryside, there’s something to whet every appetite in town for the film festival. The hotels we mentioned above are the preferred points of the cinema industry, especially for morning and afternoon coffee meetings. Cafés and restaurants on La Croisette Avenue are most famous for lunch. The most popular ones are Miramar Plage and La Mandala. For dinner, La Petite Maison, which has moved to its new location, is simply the most preferred restaurant in Cannes. Especially after a particular hour, you can witness the servers’ dances and the guests’ entertainment on the chairs.
Da Laura serves Italian delicacies. L’Affable, the venue of the famous business owner Jean-Paul Battaglia, and Mantel, owned by Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse, are among other assertive restaurants where you can meet famous names.
La Palme d’Or: On the first floor of Grand Hyatt Hôtel Martinez is La Palme d’Or, the only restaurant in Cannes with two Michelin stars. The dining room provides a masterclass in modern Art Deco décor while to-die-for views across the Mediterranean and La Croisette mean tables on the terrace are in high demand. Gracing the upper echelons of France’s culinary scene since 1985, the eatery is now helmed by Chefs who use cooking and presentation methods from around the world to reinterpret regional classics as delicious works of art.
Le Park 45: The La Croisette incarnation Hotel has a sunny terrace, an elegant dining room, garden views, and constantly changing menüs…
Eden-Roc Restaurant: The Eden-Roc Restaurant is home to some of the most sought-after tables along the Riviera. Part of the Hotel du Cap-Eden, located on the southern tip of Cap d’Antibes, the next bay along from Cannes, welcomes yacht-goers arriving by tender and famous faces and VIPs galore. Those eating here can do so on wraparound terraces overlooking the bay, the wild Lerins Islands and the Esterel hills. Inside, the dining room’s décor transports guests to The Great Gatsby era, with opulent chandeliers, luxurious upholstery and linen, metallic accents and curvaceous furniture.
Be sure to try Bouillabaisse, a Marseille-style saffron fish soup. Next, I recommend you taste the Pissaladiere, which is available in most bakeries in Cannes. Finally, you should try the Beignets de Fleurs de Courgettes, a zucchini blossom pastry with a unique flavour for Cannes.
Recommended things to do in Cannes…
Le Suquet – Old Town: Stroll around Le Suquet, which has remained unchanged for hundreds of years, with its small, beautiful streets just west of the port. Le Squet, the first neighbourhood of Cannes, was built on a hillside to the west of the port, whose structure has remained unchanged for hundreds of years, consisting of small, narrow and winding streets. If you go out to dinner at a restaurant in the evening, spend some time on the Rue Sainte-Antoine, a street lined with old fishermen’s houses at the top of the hill. Let your curiosity guide you and get lost in these winding, narrow streets. While walking, slowly pass the walls adorned with bougainvillaea flowers and inhale the fragrant scents.
La Croisette: La Croisette is one of the most iconic spots in Cannes. Wander around the shores of La Croisette, where you can feel the luxury of living comfortably. The city’s most popular restaurants are also along the promenade, which is approximately 2 kilometres long, surrounded by shops on one side and beaches on the other.
Rue d’Antibes Street: It’s one of the most famous shopping streets in Cannes and France. Rue d’Antibes, located a few streets from La Croisette and parallel to the bay, is a long shopping street with French and major international brands. In addition to shops, there are also small shops selling boutique chocolates and boutique patisseries in this area. So, if you want to taste French chocolates and cakes, don’t forget to take a break here. There are also various restaurants.
Marché Forville—Forville Market: Here, you can enjoy fresh vegetables, fruits, cheeses, and local products. The flower stands and herbs are also beautiful. You can also find homemade sweets, mushrooms, and fragrant olive oils. The market is open except Monday and closes around 14:00. It is closed on Mondays because there is a flea market here every Monday.
L’Île Sainte-Marguerite – Island of Sainte-Marguerite
Only 15 minutes by boat from the old port of Cannes. Sainte-Marguerite Island is full of umbrella pines and eucalyptus trees that allow you to isolate yourself even on crowded days. It has a deep and aromatic scented forest. We can call it a little paradise here.
You know, the famous man in the iron mask. The Royal Castle, where he and prisoners like him are imprisoned, is also on this island. Today, it is open to visitors not as a prison but as a fun maritime museum where objects salvaged from local shipwrecks are exhibited.
L’Île Saint Honorat – Island of Saint Honorat: The neighbouring island of Sainte-Marguerite has been a pilgrimage place for nearly 1,600 years, so it has a more spiritual and different feel. It was named after Saint Honorat, who founded this island. Saint Honorat founded a monastery on the island in 410, and a monastic community quickly formed here. Since then, bloody raids and exiles have taken place on the island, although a sizeable Cistercian community survives today thanks to the sale of homemade honey and wine. You can see the ruins of abandoned chapels and some ruins from the Napoleonic era by taking a quiet walking tour. If you have time, visit the interior of Lérins Abbey and the magnificent 15th-century fortified monastery on the south bank.
The Cistercian order, also known as the White Monks or Bernardines, is a sect of monks and nuns who have distanced themselves from worldly affairs and are affiliated with the Catholic branch of Christianity.
Musee de la Castre – The Castre Museum is in a medieval castle that once housed the Priests of Lérins. After climbing the hill of Le Suquet, you will see this castle, built in the 11th century to defend the bay. You can see primitive works of art from the pre-Columbian Americas, Oceania, the Himalayas and the North Pole, ancient objects from the Mediterranean, and musical instruments from almost anywhere in the world. At the end of your visit, if you want to enjoy the bay view from the terrace, you can climb the 109 steps of the black tower to reach the top and watch this awe-inspiring view.
Les Murs points: These painted walls are among the most enjoyable works you will see in Cannes. Cannes is known as an essential city for cinema, and as such, you can see murals of actors or characters and scenes from famous movies on the city walls.
Welcome to the land of dreams… Have fun…