If you’re boring, be boring. That was Sonam Kapoor‘s priceless advice on how to shine on red carpets. She herself looked very far from boring on the Martinez terrace, where she was doing interviews. Dressed in an innovative Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla sari-dress, she looked smashing. But her advice on how to avoid red carpet misfires was simple – just be yourself. That’s the only way, she said, to bring your A-game to the red carpet.
The Martinez terrace was brimming with beauties but the most unique star was a hawk named Nemesis. She perched haughtily on the arm of a handler – apparently extremely necessary for keeping away the aggressive sea gulls who fly into the terrace to pick from the delicious food laid out.
A few hours before Sonam and I chatted about fashion and red carpet, I was interviewing the iconic director, Costa-Gavras on the role of entertainment. Gavras is part of Cannes history – he won the jury prize for his 1968 classic, Z. He won the Palme D’Or for Missing in 1982. And he was part of the jury that gave the Palme D’Or to Taxi Driver in 1976. The 82-year-old director is back at the festival as a guest of honour in Cannes Classics. He was warm, effusive and humble. “Call me Costa,” he said. I couldn’t bring myself to say it so I addressed him as Sir. When I asked what the role of entertainment is, Costa-Gavras replied, “To guide the soul.”
Asif Kapadia’s new film, Amy (about the singer Amy Winehouse who died when she was only 27), is a film that guides the soul. It is, quite easily, the best film I’ve seen at Cannes 2015. The Indian origin British director has created a layered portrait of talent, tragedy and the toxicity of fame. I also enjoyed Carol, directed by Todd Haynes, starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara as lovers in the 1950s. Both women delivered beautifully nuanced performances.
The highlight of the day was a party thrown by Tanweer, a leading distributor. At one point, music started and a belly dancer came shimmying through. Only in Cannes.
