A question: there are two exclusive interview opportunities right now, Ivan and Anson. If you could choose only one, who should it be?
Ivan!
Shouldn't it obviously be Ivan?
Of course, Anson is a hot topic; anything involving Anson becomes a headline, easily creating a media frenzy. But Ivan is no less compelling.
It's important to note that Ivan is an actor, a true actor who burst onto the scene with the independent film Trainspotting and re-established his on-screen charm last year with Moulin Rouge!. His role in Star Wars: Episode II marks a new attempt in the commercial field.
This is in stark contrast to someone like Anson, who is often seen as just a pretty face.
Whether we admit it or not, there is always bias and prejudice against "eye candy," just as journalists look down on paparazzi and refuse to acknowledge them as part of the press. Similarly, actors look down on pretty faces, refusing to see them as real actors—
Actors are actors, and pretty faces are just that—two different things.
So, choosing between Ivan and Anson is essentially choosing between professionalism and popularity. It's like choosing between a journalist and a paparazzo.
The answer is simple.
What's more, this is Cannes, one of the top three European film festivals, so the choice should clearly be Ivan, right?
This isn't even a real question; any journalist with professional integrity knows their choice.
However, reality says otherwise.
Between Ivan and Anson, the journalists overwhelmingly chose the latter—even here in Cannes.
If it were just one or two journalists, that could be understandable since every industry has its bad apples. But this was almost unanimous; the journalists flocked to Anson in droves.
How does one explain that?
Clearly, this struck a nerve with Ivan.
Young Adam and Elephant premiered on the same day. Although one was in Un Certain Regard and the other in the main competition, making their exposure inherently different, Young Adam received zero attention and made no noise. It was as if the film didn't even exist, with all of Cannes' attention solely focused on Elephant. This put the Young Adam crew in an awkward position.
After all, the Young Adam crew isn't just a group of unknowns in an indie film. Whether it's Ivan or Tilda, they are both big names, yet they were snubbed at Cannes, which was truly embarrassing.
Ivan does not like Anson.
It's not a personal grudge; it's just that during the shooting of Star Wars: Episode III, he overheard Hayden Christensen talking to someone, saying he and Anson used to be friends, but now Anson no longer stays in touch.
Heh.
Ivan laughed.
The answer was obvious—Anson was acting like a diva. After Spider-Man outperformed Star Wars: Episode II, he got a big head.
Hayden is just a naive kid, as innocent as a blank slate. Forget scheming—he'd probably still be counting money even after being sold out by someone. Naturally, he couldn't have caused any trouble, so the answer was clear.
Anson is just a pretty face—only a temporary sensation—yet he behaves this way. Ivan found it ridiculous.
Still, Ivan didn't have any particularly bad feelings toward him because he knew this was the industry norm. Hollywood needs pretty faces. When one fades, another quickly steps in. These pretty faces all think they'll be immortal, but the harsh reality will eventually show them that Hollywood doesn't believe in dreams.
Ivan didn't care to compete with Anson.
However!
Such an Anson actually stole all of Ivan's spotlight in Cannes, making Ivan look so pathetic, so foolish, so insignificant.
Damn.
Ivan was genuinely angry. He couldn't believe this had actually happened. Journalists abandoned him, a real actor, for a pretty face.
Let me ask you, journalists, are you out of your minds? This is Cannes, not the People's Choice Awards!
Damn. Damn, damn, damn!
Ivan had a string of Scottish curses on the tip of his tongue, but he held back—
He couldn't lose.
If he lost control, then he would have lost.
So, Ivan held an emergency meeting with his agent and publicist to come up with a plan to salvage the situation.
"Ivan vs. Anson"—rumors of their behind-the-scenes rivalry and mutual dislike began to quietly spread through Cannes, becoming the talk of the town.
By afternoon tea, half of Cannes knew that Ivan and Anson were at odds. People started getting curious about what had happened between the two.
Yves was the first to get the news and personally confirmed with Anson, only to see a completely baffled look on Anson's face. He had no idea what was going on. Yves didn't say much but quickly understood the situation.
"Don't worry, leave it to me."
After a bit of digging, Yves traced it back to... Emmanuel.
It didn't take long; by nightfall, the story had a new version.
Ivan was jealous of Anson's spotlight. Not only did he lose his gentlemanly demeanor and throw a fit, but he also canceled his pre-scheduled work to directly compete with Anson, attempting to force journalists to choose sides and grab Anson's interview opportunities—
And he failed because most of the media stayed at the majestic Hotel Barrière in Cannes.
He lost face in every way.
What made it even funnier was that Anson hadn't paid any attention to him from start to finish. Anson focused entirely on the media interviews, showing no intention of participating in the rivalry. It was a one-man show on Ivan's part.
It's laughable!
Those who successfully interviewed the Elephant crew all stated:
One of the most successful media days ever!
They couldn't praise it enough, making the other media outlets that didn't get the opportunity green with envy. Meanwhile, the media that chose Ivan had expressions that spoke volumes—no need to wait for the reports to be released; their faces said it all.
The difference was clear.
Of course, in the media, in the reports, everything seemed calm and harmonious. There was no sense of the turmoil beneath the surface—
What happens in Cannes stays in Cannes. The undercurrents hidden beneath the storm are merely the tip of the iceberg in the glamorous world of fame and fortune. The open conflict and subtle tension between Ivan and Anson is neither the first nor the last.
But Emmanuel could guarantee that something had indeed changed.
Different was different. When the journalists looked at the two actors again, their gazes had already shifted.
This is reality.
Despite the chaotic start in the morning, with surprises and twists happening all at once, once Anson entered work mode, he demonstrated his professionalism.
Emmanuel still remembers Nicolas' first question.
"Anson, without a doubt, Elephant is completely different from your previous works in terms of scale, the weight of your role, style, and core themes. As an actor, the image you present and the challenges you face are also completely different, breaking all expectations. Could you talk to us about the real reason behind choosing this project? What are your thoughts on your image as an actor?"
An exclusive interview is, indeed, an exclusive interview.
Right off the bat, Nicolas showed his professionalism, throwing out a profound question—one that was even deeper and more incisive than the ones at the post-premiere press conference.
Not just Emmanuel; Gus, Alex, and Eric all turned to look at him, clearly feeling the weight of the question.