VISITING CANNES IS LIKE STEALING A SLICE OF LIFE FROM THE RICH AND THE FAMOUS
Just down the Mediterranean Coast on France’s Cote d’Azur (the French Riviera), Cannes is more than just another city. Pampered with luxurious climate, seaside glamour, sybaritic yachts along the marina, the swanky cruise ships in the blue water, upper crust shops and waterfront hotels, Cannes had all the elements that I expected. This was my third stop on the trip to south of France. I took the train from Nice for this short haul of 30 km. The massive hoarding with a clock, outside Gare de Cannes railway station, proclaims that you are in the city of Cannes.
Out of the 15 km of Cannes coastline, there is seven-and-a-half km of sandy yellow beach, and Cannes spent almost one-and-half-million euro to reclaim 25,000 cubic metres of sand from the sea. Interestingly, there is a 550-meter long underwater barrier, acting like a coral reef, to prevent massive waves that hit the beach along La Croisette devastating the restaurants and washing away tonnes of sand in the winter. Cannes has planted scores of palm trees on the public beaches to provide welcome shade to the visitors. The beach restaurants are an important part of the town’s image. Of late, the government is hell bent on closing down these restaurants between October and April.
The Mayor, however, has a point in battling to save them. These restaurants are needed to support the 300 days of conferences that the town hosts. Apart from being a vacationer’s hub, Cannes is a preferred destination for business tourism. Environmental extremists are in no mood to ease out on this blanket rule, though. Cannes has a few public beach strips along La Croisette in the Rade de Cannes that remain filled with tanned, lithe bodies soaking in the sun. History dates it to the late 1960s when monokini was invented here, although the trend is now declining because of the many restrictions that have come over the years. My advice would be to wear glasses, else they will know you are a tourist.
It is not just the beaches that keep the visitors interested. Exotic cars attract serious attention, too. Maseratis and Porches blow through the streets like pollen; and only the very latest models of Ferrari and Lamborghini are spotted. If you go, carry all your credit cards since Cannes prices are stratospheric.
On the Boulevard de la Croisette is The Carlton Intercontinental, a gracefully built hotel that deserves a prominent place in the Cannes skyline. In a town where everyone is finely tanned and wears jewels to breakfast, this white and marble massive structure patronises royalty. Supposedly one of the most well photographed buildings in the world, it is a trademark of Riviera glamour and one of the top three luxury hotels you should visit in your lifetime. And now, the information worthy of passing on is the history of this hotel and the two-pointed domes on the top. The hotel’s official literature has it that these domes were inspired by the breasts of Carolina “La Belle” Otero, a 19th century French courtesan. It is also famous for the movie French Kiss; if you can afford to stay here, you’re in for a treat. During the Film Festival be warned that something as basic as dry martini would run you around 30 euros.
Speaking of the movies, I was there just a week before the Film Festival. Even without the glittering presence of the stars, the place looked hip. Preparations were on in full swing. The atmosphere was dizzying. The ongoing success of its Film Festival (as famous as Hollywood’s Academy Awards) has further glamourised the place.
Cannes is synonymous with this annual event that captures eyeballs from across the world. The Palais des Festivals is an impressive complex of buildings that hosts the town’s moment of glory every year in the month of May. Celebrities descend on the red carpeted steps leading to the auditorium amidst all the glitz and glamour and stars posing for photographers is a part of the Cannes folklore.
Today it is the most prominent film festival in the world and was opened on the French Riviera on September 20, 1946, in direct response to the Venice Film Festival that was started in 1932. The opening of the Cannes Film Festival was scheduled for 1939, but eventually got delayed by World War II.
While the earlier editions of the festival was primarily a social event where almost all films were awarded, the appearance of the film stars from all over the world and increasing media attention earned it the tag of an international festival of high repute. Over the years, the festival took on a professional dimension with the introduction of various platforms such as Producer’s Network, Short Film Corner and the Doc Corner introduced in 2012.
Cannes is a cinematic experience in every way during the festival. You might catch a glimpse of Hollywood stars such as Brad Pitt, Sharon Stone, George Clooney, Woody Allen or even Aishwarya Rai, a Cannes Film Festival regular for the past decade. A whole week of paparazzi, parties, interviews and haute-couture outfits mesmerise the place. The Palme d’Or prize is awarded to the best film of the year.
Cannes also hosts other festivals such as the Games Festival and the Sony World Photography Awards, which exhibits work by some of the best contemporary photographers in the world. Is Cannes a Film festival with a town inside it? Because that’s how it holds the world’s attention. Because this is where the stars come down!