Just like any other event that is considered glamorous or prestigious, there is a whole other side to the Cannes Film Festival that is far from what you see on screens. I’m not even talking about employee salaries nor will I address whether celebrities sleep with more than one person in their hotel suites or yachts — unfortunately.
However, here are just a few of the small things that get to you when you make it to Cannes during its celebrated annual film festival. And when I say “you”, I of course do not assume that you, George Clooney, or you, Blake Lively, would read my article.
But to all of us mere mortals out there, here is a refreshing change from all of those fab red carpet pics we’ve been seeing the past couple of weeks.
Expect at least three times the duration it would normally take you to go from point A to point B because of entire areas suddenly becoming blocked because of some celebrity’s presence
You also have to add to that a good 15-minute wait just to cross the Croisette because of cops doing their job
And if you thought sticking to the sidewalks would be fine, they are just over crowded with people trying to get a closer glimpse of Julia Roberts
When there’s a huge human traffic jam and you think you’re about to at least see Ryan Gosling…
Due to the price of accommodation and the amount of people looking to stay as close as possible to the Palais and Croisette, many just end up crashing on a sofa bed in a flatshare somewhere… glamorous AF
At the Palais des Festivals, where most of the cinema-related work happens, an apple costs around 2.5 Euro each, or over 20 Egyptian pounds
When you get thrown off the red carpet for wearing something that the staff didn’t approve of
When you try to hit on a girl and she asks for 300 Euro
According to the color of your pass, you’ll get different access and seats to screenings, maybe different degrees of croissant baking, and certainly different greetings from the security
Oh, you brought your car to Cannes and thought you’d be able to get to places, cruise around or even park anywhere?
Queuing might as well be part of the Festival’s Terms and Conditions
When you’re thinking: “It’s Cannes! It’s all about sea, sex and sun (and sometimes cinema), so I must wear my amazing Brigitte Bardot-style cache maillot” and you come out and the weather goes…
You thought you were cute with your outfit, and then…
When you realize that it’s all just a big scam, but you still love it…
WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss 25 Times Arabs Slayed at the Cannes Film Festival 2016.