70th Cannes Film Festival kicks off
The Cannes lm festival kicks off its 70th birthday edition on Wednesday with Alisters including Nicole Kidman, Clint Eastwood and Will Smith jetting in for the 12-day movie marathon, France 24 reported.
The gathering on the southern French coast, where 19 lms will be vying for the coveted Palme d’Or top prize and hundreds more will be screened, also comes with a higher security status than in previous years. The festival opens with Ismael’s Ghosts – a French lm starring Marion Cotillard – on Wednesday.
Security at this year’s Cannes is higher than ever. Which is not surprising given the recent attacks in France, including last summer’s horror in nearby Nice, where a man drove a truck into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day, BBC reported.
A row of 400 concrete barriers disguised as giant flowerpots have been installed to stop a similar vehicle attack during the festival. Police have invested in 160m of spiked chains that could stop a truck and have extra forces working during the festival. In addition, there are 550 security cameras – one for every 140 inhabitants of Cannes.
A festival spokeswoman said the measures were to “guarantee the festival-goers’ optimal security” while “taking care not to disrupt” the event.
