CANNES: "Greetings from 33,000 feet..."

Well, we are officially on our way.  We took off from LAX less than an hour ago and, according to the digital map on the monitor before me, it is officially 7:33 pm (PST).  We’re in the air over Phoenix, heading east towards the snow-capped peaks of Flagstaff and Winslow, with the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest National Park waiting beyond, at a speed of roughly 500 mph.  Through the window to my left, I can see that the sun has already set, leaving a band of pink behind to bisect the blue horizon.  Perhaps I should take a photo of it, for the sake of getting back into the habit of taking pictures, if for no other reason. 

Anyway, the flight to Paris is about 12 hours, which shouldn’t be too bad.  It’s basically like flying from LA to Hong Kong, except it’s in the opposite direction.  Despite the fact that I’m a nervous flier at times, it actually feels really good to finally be in the air.  Furthermore, since I can neither check my e-mail nor answer my phone for the duration of the flight, I can relax a bit and maybe even afford to reflect a little…

After posting my first Cannes-related blog last night, I had a hell of a time falling asleep.  I’m one of those people who has a terrible time switching his mind off before he goes to bed and last night proved to be no exception.  So, I had a drink, watched about 45 minutes of Educating Rita, and eventually exhaustion overcame me around 3:30 am.  Unfortunately, I woke up around 8:00 am, even though I set my alarm for 10:30, and my mind started racing again…Don’t you just hate it when that happens?  So, I packed my stuff and tried to stave off the stress that’s been dogging me as of late. 

Eventually, Charlie showed up.  I gave him his box of “Shanghai Street Films” business cards.  It was his first time seeing them and he was pleased with how they turned out.  That made me happy, considering how hard it was to get them designed, printed, and delivered in the days before we left.  Whether it’s picture frames or movie posters or business cards or anything else for that matter, I’m extremely picky about designing things and hate doing so under pressure.  I don’t want to sound like Patrick Bateman in “American Psycho” or anything, but the truth is that I’m a real “font snob.”  So, like the advance movie posters, I had to kind of force myself to roll with the punches and get the job done. 

In the back of my mind, I’m wondering how I’ll handle similar challenges on the set of “Jasmine.”  When I meet and get to know actors, one of the questions I always ask is: “What, in your opinion, are the qualities that make for a good director?”  It’s always fascinating to hear the range of answers I get.  Jason, I remember, mentioned that, among other things, he appreciates a director who comes to the set with a plan, but who is also willing to roll with the punches.  So, perhaps, these little daily challenges are practice for the big game that lies ahead.  We shall see…

5:00 am.  I watched half of Walk The Line, most of There Will Be Blood, listened to an audiobook, and slept for a couple of hours and, believe it or not, the flight is almost over!  In fact, the captain’s voice just came over the loudspeaker and, much to my shock and surprise, he announced that we’re about to land in ten minutes.  I can’t believe the trip went by so quickly.  Anyway, according to the captain, it’s raining in Paris…I wish we were staying there, but we have to continue onto Nice.  After the festival, we plan to hit up Paris before heading to London for some meetings.  It will be my first time to the City of Lights.  Ironically, I’ve written scrīpts set in Paris, but have never actually been there.  I can’t wait.

2:14 pm.  Well, we made it.  It wasn’t easy, but we made it.  I’m writing this from my accommodations in Monaco, which are about a 45-minute train ride from the festival.  De Gaulle was an absolute nightmare.  Apparently, our flight to Paris was battling a headwind the entire time and, as a result, we were late getting in.  Very late, as it turned out.  Charlie and I had about 20 minutes to switch terminals, which required a longer-than-anticipated bus ride, and go through four security checkpoints.  We literally had to run for the gate and, when we finally got there, the plane was almost finished boarding.  I didn’t even have time to put my shoes and belt back on until I was safe in my seat.  The flight to Nice took about an hour and the drive to Monaco took about another 45 minutes. 

If you haven’t been to Monaco, I highly recommend doing so.  It looks like something out of a fairy tale.  When I arrived at the apartment and took in the incredible panoramic view from our balcony on the 25th floor, I finally let out the breath that I’ve been holding for the last three weeks. 

And, when I inhaled, I detected the sweet scent of a particular flower growing on the latticework a few feet to my right.  I’m not a big believer in signs, but this was ridiculous.

Jasminum

Charlie and I settled in, grabbed some pizza from a restaurant on the boardwalk, and, shortly after we returned to the apartment, a fireworks display ignited the sky…

Apparently, someone knew I was coming.  :)

Anyway, tomorrow will be out first full day at the festival and our schedule is already slammed with meetings.  Wish us luck!

-Dax