On the red carpet, tensions ran high.
On both sides of the red carpet, the crowd was in an uproar.
The chaotic scene unfolding before everyone's eyes was entirely unexpected; the closing ceremony and awards presentation had suddenly morphed into something straight out of a movie.
Though the events seemed to stretch on for an eternity, it had only been twenty or thirty seconds—yet, in that time, the heated atmosphere had already engulfed the entire venue.
The tension reached a stalemate.
Thierry Frémaux: "Damn it!"
In 2001, the Cannes Film Festival underwent a significant leadership change, hoping to redefine its competitiveness in the new century.
Gilles Jacob, the former artistic director, was promoted to festival president, and Thierry Frémaux took over the role of artistic director.
Neither Cannes nor Thierry foresaw that this collaboration would spark a profound change, marking a turning point for the festival.
Over the next two decades, Thierry would serve as the artistic director, responsible for selecting films and shaping the direction of each year's competition and artistic endeavors.
Under his leadership, Cannes struck a delicate balance between art and commerce, helping the festival outshine both Berlin and Venice, solidifying its position as the most prestigious film event in Europe and globally, with influence rivaling the Oscars.
The name "Thierry Frémaux" would become synonymous with Cannes.
Of course, this was just the beginning for Thierry. He was still finding his footing, and his handling of situations was not yet as polished as it would become later on. He still had an air of inexperience.
Upon hearing about the situation on the red carpet, and with the jury and president already on stage to begin the awards ceremony, Thierry had no choice but to take action himself.
He stormed out, cursing under his breath.
This year's main competition at Cannes had been fraught with controversy, drawing criticism from all sides. The last thing they needed was another incident, another scandal, placing the festival at the center of a storm of public scrutiny.
In a whirlwind, Thierry burst out of the Lumière Hall.
Bang.
He pushed through the glass doors and immediately saw the tense standoff. Without a second thought, he looked to the black-suited security guards.
"Get him out of here."
The security guards froze, looking at Thierry: Who?
Thierry felt his frustration rise. "Your colleague. The one acting like a runaway train."
The black-suited guards moved in like Agent Smiths from The Matrix, surrounding Anson and the security guard. They pulled the guard away.
The guard was about to resist, but when he turned and saw Thierry, his shoulders slumped instantly. Yet, the French pride in him made him defiantly shout at Thierry.
"This is a temple of art! We shouldn't let clowns and eye candy in here. It's a disgrace, an insult to cinema and to Cannes!"
Thierry didn't even spare him a glance. With a look, he signaled the other guards to contain the situation and minimize the damage.
The guard was dragged away.
Thierry appeared in front of Anson. "I apologize."
That was grace.
No questions asked, no excuses made. Thierry took responsibility immediately.
Even though Thierry was the powerful artistic director of the Cannes Film Festival, a figure whom directors and actors alike would bend over backward to please, his apology was delivered without hesitation or reluctance. In an instant, he had the situation under control.
No wonder Thierry would go on to become the most influential figure at Cannes for the next two decades. You could already see his commanding presence.
It was, indeed, intriguing.
Anson looked at Thierry, the agitation in his chest settling down. He smiled and, with a trace of curiosity, said, "You don't even know what happened."
Perhaps Anson had been at fault.
Thierry smiled warmly. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that we ensure every guest who comes to Cannes enjoys their time here. If we failed in that, then we, as hosts, are at fault."
"Apologies."
In just two sentences, Thierry apologized a second time.
And Anson noticed something—Thierry didn't refer to actors, directors, participants, or even guests. He said audience.
The subtle use of a single word set the tone for the entire conversation.
Anson lifted his chin slightly. "I've very much enjoyed my time at Cannes."
Thierry raised an eyebrow imperceptibly. "Including now?"
Anson chuckled. "Including now."
Thierry looked at Anson deeply, then stepped aside with a gesture of invitation. "Then, please continue enjoying yourself. This is your time."
With that, the crisis was neatly resolved.
Thierry turned to leave, but after taking a few steps, he stopped and glanced back at Anson, admiration evident in his eyes.
Elephant—a film Thierry had personally chosen for the main competition.
Initially, HBO hadn't even applied to Cannes because they had considered it a TV movie project, but Thierry had heard about the film.
He had always been a fan of Gus Van Sant's My Own Private Idaho, a film that had skipped Cannes and premiered at Venice, where it was critically acclaimed and earned River Phoenix the Best Actor award.
Thierry was less impressed with Good Will Hunting, which had been selected for competition at the Berlin Film Festival.
When Thierry heard that Gus was working on another low-budget independent film, he reached out to see if Gus would consider premiering it at Cannes that year, especially since the lineup had been rather underwhelming.
HBO sent the film to Cannes, and it was thus included in the main competition, to Gus's surprise.
In Elephant, Thierry had been deeply impressed by Alex and Eric's performances, while Anson's had seemed average. Perhaps the rave reviews for Spider-Man and Catch Me If You Can had set his expectations too high.
However, today, Thierry saw Anson in a whole new light.
He knew that Anson could have made a scene or used the opportunity to express dissatisfaction.
He also knew that, even if Anson had chosen not to escalate the situation, he could have demanded an explanation and lodged a formal complaint, as was his right.
But Anson did none of that.
He had handled the matter with decisiveness and grace, helping Thierry defuse the situation before it could spiral out of control.
That kind of composure and character was impressive.
This young man was destined for greatness.
Thierry had originally planned to offer Anson some words of caution before the press got hold of the story after the ceremony, but now, it seemed there was no need to add anything more.
Thierry gave Anson one last glance, satisfied, before turning and walking away.
He felt confident this wouldn't be Anson's last time on the Cannes red carpet.
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