As most of you don't know, I acted in a film that got into the 63rd Cannes Film Festival, La Selection Cinéfondation and won third place. I decided to make this post to clarify a few things all of you want to know about.
About the Film...
The film is called "Fifth Column" or "Hinkerort Zorasune" in Armenian. It's a short 29min film by Vatche Boulghourjian (my uncle). The film takes place in Bourjdhammoud. The synopsis according to Vatche and as on the Festival's Website is:
"A chronicle of desperation and mourning in the economically and culturally marginalized Armenian quarter of Beirut through a weave of allegorical narratives. In a panic, Hrag has stolen his father’s gun and fled home. As father searches for son, both discover paths to personal freedom in a city that offers no escape."
Exclusive photo of the crew.
I acted as Hrag, one of the main characters in the film. Although the synopsis makes it sound like a gloomy movie (and it is), the ending is happy and leaves you in a good mood, something found less often in films these days.
About the Festival...
Even though it may seem like a kilometer long on TV, the red carpet isn't that long in real life. See it in the picture below? That's the top view of it while workers are preparing it.
The festival is one of the biggest events in the film industry if not the most important one. Inside the Palais de Festival, there's an area specifically for the press called the Wifi Cafe where you can find hundreds of laptops, cameras, and news reporters. The photo below is of the Wifi Cafe from inside.
How the System Works...
This is how it works, there are around six theaters scattered near or inside the Palais de Festival, they start screening films at around 8:30am and end around 10:30pm. Each film has a requirement such as a badge or invitation. You can obtain a badge if you are part of the crew of a film in the official selection, if you are part of the press (journalist, photographer... etc.) that has been sent by the news agency you work for, or if professionals in the field apply to acquire accreditation which includes a badge. Invitations can be obtained by asking offices that give invitations if they have any (or by standing outside the Palais de Festival and holding up an "Invitation Please" sign for hours). "The Grand Theatre Lumiere" always requires an invitation, which is the main theater of the festival the one that you have to walk the red carpet to get to, where all the official selection premiers are screened. All the other theaters require a badge for entrance. The crew of the movie being screened at The Grand Theatre Lumiere get to walk the whole red carpet after their names are called. If you have an Orchestra invitation (which means your seat is at the bottom level of the The Grand Theatre Lumiere) then you also get to walk the full red carpet. If you have a Balcon invitation (meaning your seat is at the top level of The Grand Theatre Lumiere) you walk half the red carpet. The Cinema a la Plage is access libre, in other words, its free to all who want to attend. Cinema a la Plage is a great idea, it's a giant screen over the water that only screens movies at night so that it seems like it's just the image floating over the water.
About the Cinéfondation...
Gilles Jacob in deep thought.
Gilles Jacob, the president of the Cannes Film Festival, began the Cinéfondation as an attempt to bring new film makers into the light since he realized all the good directors were either retiring or dying. His main goal was to help a young generation of film makers. A good idea to start the program, it's what got Fifth Column into the festival.
Gilles Jacob, the president of the Cannes Film Festival, began the Cinéfondation as an attempt to bring new film makers into the light since he realized all the good directors were either retiring or dying. His main goal was to help a young generation of film makers. A good idea to start the program, it's what got Fifth Column into the festival.
This year's Cinéfondation jury on the red carpet.
This year's Cinéfondation directors on the red carpet.
About Cannes...
Cannes is an old French city on the seaside in the South of France. It has a climate similar to that of Lebanon. ALL of it's people are influenced by the film festival. We walked into church one day and were surprised to see a priest praying for cinema. It went something like "...let the screens of cinema spread hope to the world...".
About the Pavilions...
About the Pavilions...
There were pavilions from almost every country in the world, including Lebanon. Each pavilion had posters of the films made by their citizens that were either being sold in the market or were in the official selection. Most of the pavilions were organized and paid for by their country's cultural ministry but the Lebanese pavilion was organized and funded entirely of private sources, unfortunately. Anyone who wanted to enter the american pavilion had to pay £80, rip off.
About the Prizes...
There were four prizes, one 1st place, one 2nd place, and two 3rd place prizes. Fifth Column won third place out of the thirteen films accepted in the Cinéfondation. First place went to TAULUKAUPPIAAT (THE PAINTING SELLERS) directed by Juho KUOSMANEN. Second place went to COUCOU-LES-NUAGES (Anywhere out of the world) a comedy directed by Vincent CARDONA. The two third places went to HINKERORT ZORASUNE (THE FIFTH COLUMN) directed by Vatche BOULGHOURJIAN and JA VEC JESAM SVE ONO ŠTO ŽELIM DA IMAM (I ALREADY AM EVERYTHING I WANT TO HAVE) directed by Dane KOMLJEN.
Some Useful Links...
The Cannes Film Festival's Website - Festival de Cannes
My personal blog - Harry's Blog
My aunt went to Canne for her job :D She's a jurnelist and works in a magazine for jewellery and such.
ReplyDeleteDid you have fun acting in that Movie?
Yes, it was one of the best experiences of my life.
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