Cannes-The "Dream" Of Movie-Making Fraternity

By Sakini Mohd Said CANNES (France), Dec 7 (Bernama) -- Movie buffs are sure to remember "Mr. Bean's Holiday", which hit the silver screen in 2007. The movie, the second feature in the popular television franchise, "Mr Bean" tells how the mild-mannered Mr Bean (played by Rowan Atkinson) travelled to Cannes in the French Rivera for a holiday full of misadventures that included separating a young boy from his father and barging into the midst of shooting for a war movie. Finally, after undergoing much harrowing experience, Mr Bean gets to walk on the beach in Cannes, well known worldwide for its beauty. Cannes is one of the best-known cities on the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. The Cannes Film Festival is held annually, usually in May. It previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is considered one of the world's most prestigious film festivals. This writer had the opportunity to visit the beach featured in the “Mr Bean movie” (to cover the visit by Information, Communication and Culture Secretary-General Datuk Seri Kamaruddin Siaraf on Nov 3 to 6. MIPCOM is the global event for creating, co-producing, buying, selling, financing and distributing entertainment content across all platforms). The opportunity to visit Cannes was heaven-sent. NO DIRECT FLIGHT There is no direct flight to Cannes from Malaysia. To reach the city, one has to make a transit in either London, Rome or Amsterdam (to name a few) before flying to Nice Côte d'Azur Airport in Nice. This writer boarded flight MH 002 at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) for a flight that takes 13 hours and 30 minutes to reach Heathrow International Airport in London, before flying to Nice on British Airways. The airport in Nice is the third busiest in France, after Charles de Gaulle International Airport and Orly airport (both are located in Paris), recording 9,636,548 passengers last year. The flight to Nice, over many countries, did not make this writer feel bored, as she was fascinated with the beautiful panorama of long stretches of beach that silhouetted the countries below. Upon arrival, the entourage was greeted by two officers from the Malaysian National Film Development Corporation (Finas). The climate in Nice at the time of this writer’s arrival was similar to that of Malaysia, as Nice is located on the southeast coast of France, on the Mediterranean Sea. There was no need to wear a jacket as the temperature then was 27 degrees Celsius (except at night where it dipped to 13 degrees Celsius). ANCIENT TOWN Along the way from Nice (also known as Nice la Belle which means "Nice the beautiful") to Cannes, this writer witnessed the presence of many old buildings with classical architecture located along the route. "This place is known for its old buildings. People stay in these buildings that are turned into apartments where the architecture is retained," Finas’ Senior Executive (Training) Sharifah Ismail told this writer. The hill slopes here are dotted with many old buildings and villas that exhibit unique features. It is believed that Nice is among the oldest civilizations in Europe. When this writer reached Cannes, she found that most of the buildings located in this town are similar in architecture to those in Nice, including the hotel she stayed in, La Cle Du Sud. PALAIS DES FESTIVALS Cannes is associated with the Festivals’ Convention Centre, where the Cannes Film Festival takes place every year, and the place where movie moguls and celebrities gather for the prestigious event. The festival is a platform to gather all market players in the movie-making industry worldwide via the staging of MIPCOM and MIPTV (Television and Film Trade Market). Palais, pronounced Palay in French, has the infamous Cannes beach as its backdrop. EXPENSIVE "No English", this writer was told by a woman cabbie when she wanted to return to her hotel. This writer then figured a way out by showing a notebook where the name of the hotel was written, plus its location, as a guide for the cab driver. This is normal in Cannes, as the locals prefer to use their mother tongue. Foreign tourists who are able to speak French are highly regarded here. However this writer knows only two words in French - "Bonjour" (good morning or good day) and "Merci" (thank you). This writer, accompanied by Sharifah, went for a brief visit to La Croisette market area located near Palais. In the Croisette, there are various restaurants, as well as boutiques that offer well known brands such as Louis Vuitton, Channel, Zara and the like. For those who want to shop for cheaper items, the morning market is their choice for footwear, jackets and leather bags, as well as uniquely sewn table cloths and other paraphernalia. Some of the items sell for as little as 10 Euros. However France is known to be expensive in many ways, particularly when one Euro equals RM4.31. A simple fridge magnet cost RM13 each, while the cab fare to and from the convention centre was nearly RM100! The four-day stay in Cannes was something to cherish and remember. Thanks to Finas for sponsoring this writer’s trip, inclusive of board and lodging. (US$1=RM3.14) -- BERNAMA