May 16, 2017
The Côte d'Azur was a winter retreat for European nobility up until WW1 and quite dead in the summer. This turned around between the wars when "the Lost Generation" started partying there in the summer and writing about it. The Americans also introduced jazz, and now there is a large annual jazz festival.
We proceeded to Cannes where the famous film festival starts in only two days and runs from May 17-28, so Cannes was bustling with preparations. 6 months before the festival, a board works to select the movies for the festival by searching all over the world for works from new directors. A 9-member jury decides the Golden Palm (top award) and other awards. Will Smith and Jessica Chastain represent America on the jury this year. The Festival was conceived in 1939 to counter fascist propaganda films, but was delayed until after the war in 1946. 11,000 professionals in the industry participate.