PROFILES

The Cannes Festival's new president is a journalist and former boss of Canal+, as well as a Croisette regular for 40 years. He tells us what the festival means to him professionally and personally

Like Gilles Jacob, you first came to Cannes in 1977.
Yes, with Europe 1 radio; every even­ing I presented a 2hr programme live from a studio set up on the Croisette, with Jean-Claude Brialy and Eddy Mitchell. We all stayed in a big country villa behind Cannes, like a luxury holiday camp! The year of The Brontë Sisters we even had to hide Isabelle Adjani and André Téchiné there!

So naturally you met Gilles Jacob?
Of course, and the Festival's new general delegate already exud­ed the class we know him for. I came to three more festivals with Europe 1, then as general delegate and president of Canal+. At the start Gilles complained we made too much noise on the Hôtel Martinez beach [where the Canal+ studio is set up; Ed.] but we quickly established the right balance so as to preserve the atmosphere of the Palais's sacro­sanct red carpet alongside the lively
ambience of our broadcasts. I've never since lost touch with the Festival, nor with Gilles: for four decades we've been meeting up two or three times a year to talk about – guess what? – cinema!

In June 2013 he made you an unexpected proposal.
Indeed. He said: "Look Pierre, the next Festival will be my last and if you agree I'll propose you as my successor." And that's how it went. In January 2014 I was unanimously elected president in a secret ballot. I'm not a little proud of that!

They say the Festival's president must work out his own position and actions as his mandate progresses. What do you think?
It's absolutely true. Naturally I won't be making any big moves this year. My trial run started last September, plunging into the festival organisation, and we'll be seeing the results from 13 to 24 May. With the experience of this 68th edition, I could make some practical suggestions to Thierry Frémaux and the Festival's top executives. The adventure's just starting.

Before "sealing your lipsforever", what was yourpersonal Palme d'Or last year?
When I read the winners I thought: "But Dolan..." Then as Thierry Frémaux says, Xavier Dolan will still be around in 20 years and he's young to have already taken the second biggest prize at the world's top festi­val! Mommy would indeed have been my choice, but everyone who saw it talked essentially of Dolan, whereas those who saw Nuri Bilge Ceylan's Winter Sleep talk only of the film itself. That's what's special about the Cannes winners.

PIERRE LESCURE ON FILM

Tout le monde n'a pas eu la chance d'avoir des parents communistes (1993)
[Éclat de rire] Moi, j'ai eu cette chance ! Très tôt, j'ai donc été sensibilisé à la question sociale mais surtout plongé dans un environnement culturel très riche. On allait au cinéma, on lisait un tas de bouquins... Ma grand-mère écoutait Brel, Brassens, Azanavour, mon grand-père du lyrique, ma mère du classique, mon oncle du jazz...
As a young child I was made aware of social issues and above all given a richly cultural upbringing. We went to the cinema, read loads of books, my grand­mother listened to Brel, my grandfather to opera, my mother to classical music, my uncle to jazz...

Love me tender (1956)
Elvis Presley is my idol. As well as having an exceptional voice and considerably influencing the music scene, he helped make many black American musicians known when segregation was still rife.

All the President's Men (1976)
Among the finest tributes to journalism, one of my passions. My father was head journalist at L'Humanité [the Communist daily newspaper; Trans.], which had a circulation of 600,000 and employed 300 journalists. As a child I hung about the offices – seeing the presses turn was a great spectacle.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
My Twitter account is crowded with actresses,
I confess. Audrey Hepburn leads the field – she's absolutely my favourite – but there's also Marilyn Monroe, Catherine Deneuve etc. Then again, my wife is a brunette and our daughter, who's from Vietnam, has beautiful jade-black hair.

Fear City (1994)
I play a tiny role in this! It's 20 years old and it symbolises the Cannes Festival and Les Nuls' humour, which marked several generations, and it represents the best of what Canal+ has done over the years. Whenever I'm walking along the Croisette, I can't help thinking of Alain Chabat's crazy chase after the killer, with the protesting mimes blocking his way!

 Par Mireille Sartore
© Etienne Laurent / Epa / Maxppp