By day nine, I am pretty mentally exhausted. Who would have guessed that watching films all day and writing about them would be this much work? Therefore, the following days of the festival will not be written in Daily Blog form, but rather as a series of anecdotes.

Day 9 was a whirlwind. It began at 8:30 p.m. with The Safdie Brothers’ non-stop, intense crime drama “Good Time.” Robert Pattinson led the cast with a performance I did not know was hidden in Pattinson. He was unrecognizable, as a ruthless low life who would do anything to keep his mentally challenged brother (Benny Safdie) safe.

After “Good Time,” we rushed to the Salle Bunuel for a screening of “Brigsby Bear.” The offbeat comedy premiered at Sundance, and is written,directed by and stars longtime friends (and SNL co-workers) Kyle Mooney, Dave McCary and Kevin Costello.* The film was heart-warming and celebrated the power of cinema and friendship. Later that afternoon, I interviewed Mooney, McCary, Costello and Greg Kinnear (“Stuck in Love,” “Little Miss Sunshine”) about the film. A feature on the film will include the interviews. You can read it later this summer, closer to the U.S. release of the film on July 28th.

*Costello does not work for SNL

Day 10 began with a luncheon at The Castle in Le Suquet. The luncheon, thrown in celebration of the journalists attending the festival, was hosted by the Mayor of Cannes and the Grand Jury of the Festival. The Grand Jury includes Will Smith, Pedro Almodovar, Jessica Chastain and a plethora of other accomplished film professionals. All were in attendance, though there was a clear divide between the parties. Still, the luncheon was delicious and each journalist received a bottle of Cannes themed Olive Oil as a parting gift.


That night, I met up with a student journalist from The Harvard Crimson. We attended the closing ceremony of the Director’s Fortnight festival. The Director’s Fortnight, or Quinzaine des Realisateurs, is an independent section held parallel to the official festival. It was started in 1969 by the French Director’s Guild as a response to the cancellation of the 1968 Festival.

After the awards ceremony, we stayed for “Patti Cake$.” Another film which premiered at Sundance, it tells the story of Patricia Dombrowski, or Killa P, an aspiring female rapper in New Jersey. “Patti Cake$” has a special connection to The Michigan Daily — one of the lead producers is a University of Michigan alumni. Go Blue, even in Cannes! We finished the night with a drink and some french fries at Le Petit Majestic, a famous bar on a side-street in the festival.

Day 11 was our last real day of the festival. We spent the day in the best way — group binge watching Jane Campion’s crime drama “Top of the Lake: China Girl.” The Festival presented the entire mini-series as part of the 70th Anniversary special events line-up. The premiere screening was rumored to have a table in the back with sandwiches, drinks and twix bars, but we were not so lucky at the second day screening. In between episodes, viewers would sneak out to grab a bite so that they could make it through the six hour screening. Though mentally exhausting, it was worth it.

We ended the festival on a high note: eating Indian food in black-tie on Rue du Suquet before heading to the red carpet premiere of Lynne Ramsay’s “You Were Never Really Here.” Breathing the same air as Joaquin Phoenix while watching him fight like hell on screen was very exciting. After the film, we went for one final walk on the Croisette. Eating ice cream, we were ready to call it a night, when Barry Jenkins (“Moonlight”) and Ben Safdie (“Good Time”) stroll past us. Naturally we did a 180º and followed them.

That’s how the festival ended for me. Eating a soft-service ice cream cone in a long black gown, telling Barry Jenkins and Ben Safdie how much I admire their work. It was the epitome of what the festival can be: random, magical and inspiring.

We spent our final day on the beach before leaving Cannes. It has been an exhausting, amazing ride and an honor to represent The Michigan Daily. Until next time, Cannes!