"Damn."
Emanuel finally couldn't hold back and cursed angrily.
The appointment had been canceled at the last minute.
In Cannes, photography and interviews are separate matters. Although some large media outlets combine them for exclusive interviews, that's rare. If you don't book an exclusive interview, there's likely no time for photos.
Of course, press releases at Cannes primarily focus on text about films, so photos aren't always essential.
Thus, photographers mainly work on the red carpet or at official press conferences, providing photos for interviews from these events.
The core issue is time.
With so many film crews and official Cannes events—not just premieres but also promotional activities—everything becomes overwhelming. Typically, a film crew arrives in Cannes and has just 48 to 72 hours, fully packed with engagements.
The crews are swamped, and so are the media. There's no time to spare. Photography requires makeup, styling, and location selection, so this streamlined approach has developed, offering relief to both parties.
However, there are exceptions.
Some actors or crews may only come to Cannes once in their careers, and naturally, they want to take memorable photos, like a beach shoot. Similarly, some media outlets are particularly interested in certain actors or crews and want to shoot special photos.
In these cases, special appointments need to be made, and photographers often barely have time to eat.
That's what happened here.
Scottish director David Mackenzie had already made three or four films but hadn't gained much attention. This time, his film Young Adam entered the "Un Certain Regard" category at Cannes, and his whole team was ecstatic and eager to capture the memory.
Coincidentally, Emanuel also wanted to shoot a series of photos for them because the cast was impressive—Peter Mullan, Emily Mortimer, Tilda Swinton, and Ewan McGregor.
A group of promising British actors, and Ewan McGregor had already made a name for himself with Trainspotting, Star Wars: Episode I, and Moulin Rouge, gaining popularity in both Europe and America.
Emanuel didn't want to miss this opportunity.
And what happened?
She arrived at the appointment location early in the morning, waited for 30 minutes, only to be told that Ewan wasn't feeling well and couldn't do the shoot. The crew was regretful but had to cancel.
Emanuel: ???
As she left, she swore she saw a very healthy-looking Ewan through the hotel lobby, shouting angrily at two staff members in the garden. Though she didn't know what had happened, Ewan looked fine.
If that's the case, it meant… Ewan was refusing to cooperate.
Emanuel felt a wave of frustration rise in her chest.
She was busy too, wasn't she?
For Young Adam, she had turned down a job with the Shara crew, even though that film had been selected for the main competition. Considering popularity and interest, she chose Young Adam.
And this was her reward?
Unwilling to swallow her frustration, Emanuel asked around and learned from hotel staff that Ewan had started the morning in good spirits, but when he found out the media was flocking to the Elephant crew, his mood soured and soon turned into a full-blown storm.
The Elephant crew?
Emanuel didn't understand. Did Ewan have some grudge with the Elephant crew? Or was there a personal issue with Anson?
She couldn't make sense of it.
Even if Ewan had a personal issue with Anson or was jealous of the attention Elephant was getting, that didn't justify canceling a scheduled shoot, right?
What about professionalism?
Frustrated beyond measure, Emanuel cursed again. Even with some of the truth in hand, she was still bewildered.
She hated being abandoned, ignored, and forgotten: Damn it!
To make matters worse, she had cleared two hours for the Young Adam crew, and now those two hours were empty.
Emanuel wasn't relieved at the free time. She needed to seize the opportunity at Cannes to make her career breakthrough. Wasting time was a crime.
Should she head to the main competition premiere at the Palais des Festivals this morning?
Wait, what was screening this morning? The Italian film His Secret Heart. If she hurried, maybe she could still get a good spot.
No time for frustration. Emanuel rushed toward the Palais des Festivals, only to see from a distance that the red carpet was already swarmed with people. This dampened her mood.
His Secret Heart was directed by Italian maestro Pupi Avati, who had been nominated at the major European festivals seven times but never won. This was his third time at Cannes, and many wondered if this would finally be his lucky year.
The scene before her told Emanuel that the media had surrounded the red carpet early.
She could still get in, but probably not in a good spot.
She hesitated, her mind racing.
The Elephant crew.
Maybe she could ask if they had time for a photoshoot. If so, she wanted to schedule something with them.
The official review of Elephant had just come out, and its scores weren't good. That could mean the film's journey at Cannes might face some bumps. But Emanuel's intuition told her differently; she felt she should give the Elephant crew a chance.
Plus, Ewan had just thrown a tantrum over the Elephant crew, right?
So, what was really going on here?
No more time to think. Emanuel turned a corner and entered the grand Barrière Hotel, navigating her way to the elevator.
Ding.
The elevator arrived. As Emanuel stepped out, she paused, stunned by the chaotic scene in front of her.
What was going on?
Emanuel couldn't believe her eyes. Now, she understood why Ewan had been so furious. She had never seen anything like this.
The entire hallway was packed with people, wall-to-wall.
Ding.
The elevator doors were closing again, but Emanuel quickly hit the open button and stepped out, standing in awe at the bustling scene. The heat felt like the sweltering asphalt of a summer afternoon, and she instinctively held her breath.
She stopped, asking someone by the elevator, "Excuse me, are you here for the Elephant crew?"
Without turning, the person ahead answered kindly, "Follow the hallway. Someone's handing out numbers up front. You'll need to take a number."
Take a number???