Cannes

Wednesday afternoon, I met my group at Gare de Lyon (train station near my apartment) and we got the TGV to the south of France. It was surprisingly difficult to read on the train, but the trip went by quickly. After settling into our hotel, we walked along the beach to a restaurant. Delicious food, lots of wine, and a table looking right out over the water. We were staying in Juan-les-Pins, a town east of Cannes. Lots of jellyfish on the beach, but aside from that it was a great little place, with the classic coastal hills, palm trees, and sailboats.

Thursday morning, we woke up early and went to Cannes la Bocca (a western neighborhood of Cannes) where our movie theater is. After some time wading through the waves and looking for seaglass, we went back to the theater for our first film. It was a French movie about two brothers and war re-enactment. Fun, but not that deep. After lunch, we saw another movie in the same theater; this time there was a short film that used hundreds of logos as characters to tell a story (Ronald McDonald was a crazed criminal). The film following it was quite artsy, and mostly about mercury pollution in a South American town. Mixed reactions, but I mostly liked it. After going into Cannes and wandering around, we all met at the beach next to the official Cannes movie theater. There was a concert with oddly emo music on the beach, and then a film. We sat in the sand, on little beach chairs, as the sun was setting; the film was about two lovers, set in what I believe was Kyrgyzstan or somewhere nearby. Maybe it was closer to China.

Friday, we saw a film at 9am. An incredibly annoying, random, and strange animated film in the style of Robot Chicken. It was a movie marathon day, because at 11am we saw another movie: this time it was set in Thailand, I think, and was about a young couple and a nymph/wood spirit that enchanted the husband. Long, long shots, and some strange moments. Beautiful images, but mostly boring. I fell asleep. After a quick lunch, we saw the new Resnais film at 2pm, which was in the running for the main competition. It was really strange, with a script that drove me crazy, but the actual directing was brilliant. Later, we went swimming. Well, I was one of the few that actually got in the water. After lounging on the beach for a little while, I met up with another friend. We worked our way back to Cannes; I met a young British film editor who was in a tuxedo, on his way to see one of the famous films. He needed a date, but since I was not in a ball gown, I had to just wish him luck. Back at the hotel, my friend and I had a picnic and then met up with the rest of the crowd.

Saturday, we walked to a town called Antibes where we went to a classic southern France outdoor market, and then to the Picasso Museum. The coast was stunning, with a large bay and hills. We took the bus to another town, where we saw the Renoir House. We were able to see some of the inspiration for his paintings. I slept on a bench in the garden for a little while, and then the group got the bus again to an old town high up in the hills. It had tiny streets with old stones, and tons of little shops. My friend and I walked along the wall, poked through some more graves, and bought spices and jam. Dinner brought lots of wine, frightening fish, and a pick-up soccer game.

Sunday, we went kayaking on the Mediterranean. Beautiful, but exhausting. Then back to Paris.

Sorry this post is so late.