Reporter's Notebook: Even Without Michael Moore, Cannes Films Cause a Stir

In addition to my indieWIRE duties here in Cannes, I am doing some writing for the Wall Street Journal online. My third (and final) "Reporter's Notebook" piece has been published on WSJ.com:

Last year in Cannes, Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" dominated the festival, taking home the event's top prize and bringing an element of political controversy into the normally refined proceedings. This year's gathering, though lacking a Moore-style firebrand, nevertheless features several provocative films that take a critical stance toward the U.S.

One consequence of Michael Moore's success here ("Fahrenheit 9/11" won Cannes' top prize) was to help establish a foothold for documentaries at a festival that historically has welcomed only features. One of this year's most-talked about films is a British documentary, "The Power of Nightmares," which explores the emergence of U.S. neoconservatives and radical Islamists during the past 50 years. "Nightmares," which was directed by Adam Curtis, questions the extent of the terrorist threat posed by Al Qaeda.



Reporter's Notebook: 'Revenge of the Sith'

In addition to my indieWIRE duties here in Cannes, I am doing some writing for the Wall Street Journal online. My second "Reporter's Notebook" piece has been published on WSJ.com:

The cruise liner Queen Mary 2 sailed into a Cannes harbor Sunday already crowded with luxury vessels and pleasure craft. Just hours before the film festival staged the world premiere of the final installment in the "Star Wars" saga -- "Episode III: --Revenge of the Sith" -- filmmaker George Lucas boarded the massive ship to receive the Trophy of the Festival from Cannes artistic director Thierry Frémaux, including the presentation of a tribute film directed by Cannes festival president Gilles Jacob.

At the legendary Carlton Hotel along Cannes' seaside esplanade, the Croisette, a maze of suites have been converted into a public-relations war room to orchestrate the massive media campaign accompanying the film's out-of-competition screening.



Reporter's Notebook: The Cannes Film Festival

In addition to my indieWIRE duties here in Cannes, I am doing some writing for the Wall Street Journal online. My first "Reporter's Notebook" piece was just published on WSJ.com:

Along the Croisette in Cannes, the storied thoroughfare that functions as the de facto Main Street during the big film festival each May, movie marketers typically stage promotional stunts and buy large billboards to plug their films.

Most of the time, the events come off without a hitch. On Thursday morning, representatives from DreamWorks Animation SKG unveiled a parade-size balloon of British clay-animated canine character Gromit to tout the studio's October release of feature film "W and G," based on the Wallace & Gromit duo. But elsewhere, actress Kiera Chaplin, the granddaughter cinema legend Charlie Chaplin (and great-granddaughter of playwright Eugene O'Neill), arrived on the promenade to promote her new film, British comedy "Lady Godiva's Back in the Saddle." Publicists had hoped to have Ms. Chaplin make a daring ride on horseback down the esplanade, but the stunt was intercepted by French police. The filmmakers hope to try again on Friday.