Belgian-Congolese rapper and movie director Baloji is again on the Croisette for the 2024 Cannes Movie Pageant.
The director of 2023 Un Sure Regard entry Omen this yr is a member of the Caméra d’Or, or Golden Digital camera, jury.
Earlier than heading to Cannes, he shared with THR some ideas and insights into his expertise on the pageant.
What makes Cannes distinctive?
You possibly can have specialists in South Korean artwork home motion pictures, subsequent to individuals signing movie offers, proper beside TikTok influencers reporting on purple carpet stars and the subsequent bling bling. Bringing all these worlds collectively is what makes Cannes so particular.
Favourite “solely in Cannes” second?
My favourite second was, after all, screening Omen on the Debussy Theatre. However the strangest “solely in Cannes” second was doing the purple carpet. As a result of we didn’t have a purple carpet for our movie, the crew and I obtained to stroll the purple carpet for one of many official competitors movies. However as quickly as we went up the steps and obtained the photographs, they took us down and shuffled us off.
Any memorable superstar encounters?
Sadly, no. I used to be too busy to satisfy anybody. However one in all my actresses ran into Quentin Tarantino. I solely met him later that yr, after I did an American Cinematheque screening [at L.A.’s Los Feliz Theater]. I picked Milos Forman’s Loves of a Blonde, which is a extremely essential movie for me. After the screening, Tarantino got here as much as me and stated, “Good speech, good movie.”
A primary-time filmmaker in Cannes ought to by no means …
Occasion earlier than the day of the press junket to your movie. In any other case, you’ll not survive. The journalists can inform if you’re hungover or engaged on autopilot, and that may derail your movie. You must focus as if you’re an athlete on the evening of the large recreation.
A Cannes first-timer ought to all the time …
Rise up early one morning to stroll the Croisette. That’s when Cannes is at its most beautiful: When it’s empty and there’s simply the sand, the ocean, and town.