Despite its chaos and commercialization, Cannes remains essential as cinema's most important festival
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/agnespoirier. "Cannes is a beautiful, gruelling circus. I wouldn’t quit it for anything | Agnès Poirier | The Guardian." May 13, 2026. www.theguardian.com
The Gist
The author argues that Cannes Film Festival is worth enduring despite being exhausting and commercialized. She believes it remains cinema's most important gathering place because it combines serious film appreciation with industry business, creates magical moments, and stays true to its original mission of supporting free artistic expression.
Conclusion
The Cannes Film Festival, despite being a grueling and chaotic experience, remains uniquely valuable and worth attending year after year
Premises
- Cannes is the 'mecca of cinema' that has maintained this status for nearly eight decades
- The festival was founded as a gesture of resistance against fascist propaganda and has remained faithful to representing the 'free world'
- Cannes uniquely combines artistic celebration with practical industry function, serving as both summit for cinema elite and giant film bazaar
- The festival creates magical, unrepeatable moments of cinematic connection and serendipitous encounters with film legends
- Despite commercialization and exhaustion, Cannes continues to showcase the year's best films and honor cinema as art form
- The festival maintains its founding spirit of resistance by supporting filmmakers who create works at personal risk
Assumptions
- Artistic and cultural value can coexist with commercial activity
- Historical founding principles continue to matter in evaluating contemporary institutions
- Personal experiences and emotional connections are valid measures of an institution's worth
- The film industry needs centralized gathering places for both artistic and commercial purposes