It is 5:49 p.m., and I’m freezing on the Journalist’s Terrace in the Palais. Though unseasonably chilly, the quiet terrace offers a breathtaking view of the Marina and the Riviera.

This morning began with an 8:30 a.m. screening of Yorgos Lanthimos’s “The Killing of a Sacred Deer.” I won't give too much awa, because everyone should see this for themselves when it hits theatres. The entire theatre was on the edge of their seats: thrilled, terrified, riveted. Lanthimos’s most recent film was “The Lobster,” an unnerving, psychologically challenging film. “The Killing of the Sacred Deer” puts “The Lobster” to shame in every way. Sydney and I stumbled out of the Grand Théâeatre Lumièere, unsure how to process what we’d just seen.

I made my way to the Quinzaine Théâeatre in the JW Marriott Hotel for the 11:45 a.m. Director’s Fortnight screening of “The Florida Project.” Sean Baker, the director of the film, is notable for “Tangerine, which was shot completely on an iPhone 5S. “The Florida Project” highlights America’s “hidden homeless” living in motels on the highways bordering Disney World. It does so in a very unique way, following three adorable children on an adventure-filled summer. The piece was moving, funny, heart-warming and heart-breaking.

Tomorrow afternoon I’ll be interviewing Sean Baker and a few members of the cast. A profile of “The Florida Project” will include parts of these interviews.

After wiping the tears away, I left the Quinzaine Thèâeatre, grabbed a baguette and met Sydney at the International Village. Our next activity was a Virtual Reality film inside of a pavilion. The 10 minute VR experience was unique to each viewer. Sydney went on a tour of the National Parks with President Obama, and I took a tour of the White House with President Obama and Michelle. We love the Obama family.

We thought the virtual visit with the Obamas would be our biggest political interaction of the festival. This was wrong.

After taking a break to write, Sydney and I met back up for the 7:30 p.m. premiere of “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power.” We were expecting a great documentary and to be scared by the alarming consequences of climate change. What we were not expecting was the arrival of Vice President Al Gore! He strolled down the aisle behind directors Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk. We were in disbelief as he walked right past us toward the stage.

The film was far more Gore-themed than I had expected. It followed Vice President Gore as he taught others how to teach about climate change and his work at the Paris Conference in 2015. There was a bittersweet note to the film — watching this man struggle and fight for a dire cause, finally feel hope and then, one year later, see Donald Trump elected President.

Sitting in the same theatre as Vice President Gore was surreal. When the documentary ended, there was an emphatic standing ovation. The theatre was excited, and hopefully, inspired.



We went to find food after the screening and ended up at a restaurant called Planet Sushi. Word to the wise —- if the menu features color-corrected photos, a roll with the hashtag #blackisthenewwhite (refering to the rice) and the sticky rice is lemon flavored, walk away. Sydney and I learned this the hard way, which is why dinner consisted of discarded bento boxes and french fries from McDonald’s. Ah. The glamourous life.