Walk along the beach sidewalk on La Croisette overlooking the French Riviera during the 62nd Cannes Film Festival: Part One. For those that didn’t get to attend this video (though lo-fi) does paint a picture of what this crazy beach sidewalk is like.
The beach sidewalk area that juts just east of the Palais during the Cannes Film Festival is a giant maze of every nationality and all kinds street entertainer (from Michael Jackson impersonators to pyromaniacs and more). You literally never know what you will find walking down it regardless of the time of the day. Since my villa I was staying at was well east on this I had to always make sure I never forgot anything and anytime I had to go back to change into evening outfit or a tux, I had to give myself enough time not just to walk but to bob and weave throughout hordes and hordes of people. Anytime a celebrity popped up at a hotel along the Riviera front or on a beach side club/restaurant it would cause major traffic congestion and made getting around it a nightmare (save for where I could take side streets to completely bypass all together.
There was also a Cannes Film Festival TV show that taped interviews along part of this walk where people went absolute bonkers anytime anyone remotely famous showed up. A hand puppet caused a near riot as people fought to get a closer look at it being interviewed (seriously!).
A massive sound stage was closer to the Palais where various bands would play at night with lots of lawn chairs provided for anyone wanting to attend (no cost).
Television/Cable crews could be found walking around doing on the spot interviews or celebrity watches.
Photographers were also hiding at nearly every bush or half mile waiting to take the picture of anyone remotely famous or anyone dressed up. They all offered to provide quality pictures to whomever they got to pose for them.
Speaking of the “celebrity watch” culture at the Cannes Film Festival… it literally is at a whole other level of celebrity culture insanity. People and media a like had cameras and littered the entire stretch and sometimes even hidden just waiting to take the picture or get the autograph or perhaps shout at anyone famous. At the mere mention or possibility someone famous was around a massive stampede would take place. When cars with celebrities passed by I literally saw media or fans all crash over themselves trying to keep up as the car sped off. At times watching people try and run snapping pictures of moving cars while crashing into each other, pushing each other over, tripping over curbs and more, looked more like something taking place out of a Tony Jaa movie than real life.
Though it did cause delays and longer walks at times, the entertainment value of never knowing what street entertainer I’d come across next or what crazy conversation I’d walk past or people losing their minds as Carrot Top or Paris Hilton or Brad Pitt walked by (you knew when Brad Pitt had just been by as there would literally be hundreds of girls holding their chests acting like they were about to die and out of breath from seeing the almighty BP himself). There was also various flash mobs in the mix of zombie marches and cross dressing men marches. The little snack food places were where I managed to get cheap and affordable meals on the go, which mainly consisted of large sandwiches or subs. The Italian sub incidentally contained ham, egg, Swiss cheese, lettuce and tomatoes with mayonnaise.
