One fold, two folds, three folds—
It was hard to believe that it was only 8:20 in the morning, and already a massive line had formed outside the Palais des Festivals, radiating the heat of Cannes early on.
Indeed, "Dogville" was living up to its reputation as a hot favorite and was already considered a guaranteed hit.
Last night, after finishing all the interviews, the "Elephant" crew had a small celebration. Whether the film won any awards or not, and regardless of the low scores in the official festival publications, there was no doubt that the film had experienced a magical journey at Cannes, which was reason enough to celebrate.
It was also somewhat of a farewell party. Alex and Eric were preparing to backpack north to Paris. Since they were finally this close to the Atlantic, they didn't want to waste the opportunity to explore a bit before returning to Portland.
They partied until three in the morning and finally fell asleep in a daze.
Early this morning, Anson was up before eight to head to the Palais des Festivals and line up, worried that the combination of Lars von Trier and Nicole Kidman would cause a massive crowd. But surprisingly, Anson wasn't even the earliest bird.
Taking a quick glance at the growing line, there was no time for awe or shock. He hurriedly joined the queue and politely asked someone in line, "Excuse me, is this the line for the 'Dogville' premiere?"
After two days of back-to-back interviews and last night's revelry, Anson's voice was practically gone. It was a struggle to get even a little sound out this morning, but he managed it—and found himself amused by his own raspy voice.
Karl Rivette's attention was scattered.
He was still trying to catch his breath after running all the way there, skipping breakfast and coffee just to make it in time. Missing this would have been a disaster in his mind.
But arriving only to see the long line snaking ahead, he couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated. He wasn't sure if he would make it in.
Everyone knew "Dogville" was a hot ticket, and with only 2,000 seats in the Lumière Theatre, they would fill up in no time.
Karl was feeling a bit down.
Hearing a voice nearby, Karl quickly gathered himself. From the question alone, he could tell this was someone attending the festival for the first time. Eager to help newcomers enjoy the experience, Karl was happy to answer.
"Yes, this is the line."
He was still out of breath as he replied.
He turned and glanced at the media pass around the guy's neck, a look of envy flashing in his eyes. "Ah, you don't actually need to line up here."
"Actually, you don't need to line up at all. There's a VIP entrance at the back of the line. You can just go straight in."
At Cannes, passes are color-coded.
Actors have blue passes, crew members, film company representatives, and festival officials have green ones, and distributors have black passes. The color of the pass determines where you can go and the priority level for entry.
The highest level pass at Cannes is white, though it's mostly just a rumor. Supposedly, passes like these are given to people like the president or the CEOs of the major Hollywood studios. A white pass guarantees entry anywhere—no restrictions, no waiting in line.
For the media, the highest level pass is pink, followed by blue, and then yellow.
When lining up, people queue according to the color of their pass. Pink goes first, followed by blue, and finally yellow.
Usually, those with pink and blue passes get in without issue, while yellow pass holders rely on luck.
So, early morning queues at the Palais are typically full of people with yellow passes, with a few blue ones as well.
Those with pink passes? They don't need to arrive until the screening is about to start. Not only are they guaranteed entry, but they also get to pick their seats first.
If you've waited in line for hours but still don't get in, what do you do?
There's no solution.
The only option is to head to the press room early and secure a seat there, waiting for the post-premiere press conference, which is open to all pass holders.
How are pass colors determined?
Cannes has never disclosed this. They only say that it's based on their internal evaluation reports. There's no logic or rules to it; the media just have to accept it. Generally, though, the more influential you are, the higher your pass level.
Take Roger Ebert, for example.
The Pulitzer-winning critic naturally holds a pink pass. Even though he doesn't participate in the official festival ratings, he's still warmly welcomed at Cannes. Not only does his pass have pink status, but it also bears several yellow dots, marking an even higher priority than a standard pink pass.
This ensures that Roger Ebert doesn't waste hours in line and can see as many films as possible and write as many reviews as he wants.
And right now, Anson was holding a pink pass.
Karl tried to contain his envy but couldn't help but let some slip through. After all, the pink pass is the highest grade among media passes, and there are only a few dozen in all of Cannes. People hear about them but rarely see them in person.
Karl glanced up at the young man in front of him.
He looked so young!
But Karl wasn't sure where he worked—Cahiers du Cinéma? Hollywood Reporter? The Times?
Anson blinked, a little surprised by the whole situation. He hadn't realized there was such a hierarchy to the passes. He glanced down at his pink pass and flashed a smile.
"Oops, I guess I've revealed my secret identity. Bond, James Bond."
That introduction made Karl burst into laughter.
Karl couldn't help but take another look at the young man. "You really don't need to be here now. You can show up about twenty minutes before the film starts and go straight in through the VIP entrance."
Anson tilted his head thoughtfully, suddenly realizing something. "Does that mean I can squeeze in more screenings?"
Karl replied, "Yeah, theoretically. While we're waiting here, you could use the time to catch another film at a different venue."
As he said this, Karl revealed his own yellow pass with a wry smile.
Anson nodded. "So, should I leave now to avoid causing any unnecessary trouble?"
His teasing tone made Karl laugh again. "Yeah, I think that's a good idea."
"So, did you just get to Cannes?" Karl asked.
Anson replied, "Yeah, 'Dogville' is the first film I'm seeing. Glad I didn't miss it."
Karl nodded. "Of course, no one should miss Lars von Trier. But you should've come earlier; you missed this year's first breakout hit, Elephant. Who would've thought that Anson's film would take Cannes by storm?"
"Oh, speaking of Anson, has anyone ever told you that you look a lot like him? Don't get me wrong, it's a compliment. You resemble him quite a bit."
Anson looked serious. "Actually, this isn't the first time I've heard that."
Karl burst out laughing again. "Don't worry about it. Sure, people call him a pretty face, but at least that means his looks are striking. That's a compliment. You know, it's not easy to look like Anson."
Anson raised his chin slightly, his gaze behind the sunglasses revealing a bit of curiosity. "So, do you like him?"