Alejandro G. Iñárritu visited the Cannes Film Festival for the first time in 2000 for the premiere of his film, "Amores Perros" (2000). One day during the festival, Iñárritu and many other directors were invited for a 7 PM screening of Wong Kar-wai's "In the Mood for Love" (2000).
Iñárritu and his wife Maria booked a taxi at 6:15 PM. But the taxis were overbooked. So Iñárritu, wearing a tuxedo & his wife, wearing a long dress with high heels had no other choice but to run to reach the theater on time, while the temperature was 95°F. The traffic was heavy. While running, Iñárritu took off his jacket, tie & the first 3 buttons of his shirt. His wife took off her shoes.
Their effort wasn't in vain as they reached the theater at 7:01 PM. They were drenched in sweat. But they both had experience of their lives when they watched the movie.
Here is what Iñárritu said of "In the Mood for Love" (2000):
"For a filmmaker, the experience of entering that legendary [Palais Des Festivals] with 2,000 seats is similar to that of a Catholic boy going into the Vatican. [From] all the way in the back, we watched “In the Mood for Love” on a screen 40 times bigger than us.
Maria and I walked in complete silence for almost 10 minutes [afterward]. We suddenly stopped by the sea. Maria hugged me and started crying inconsolably on my shoulder. And I did the same on hers. “In the Mood for Love” had left us speechless and deeply moved. It was that moment that reminded me why, even when it’s so stupidly difficult sometimes, I wanted to become a filmmaker."
("We Miss You, Cannes: 23 Filmmakers Relive Indelible Moments", Manohla Dargis and A.O. Scott, The NY Times, 2020)
P.S: On this day, 26 years ago, "In the Mood for Love" (2000) premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, France.
‘Pee Mak’ Director Banjong Pisanthanakun Returns With Horror Film ‘Inherit’ as 'Parasite' Studio Barunson E&A Boards GDH 559 Project https://t.co/ohgz2wgEN9
Official poster & trailer for SHUTTER (dir. Herwin Novianto – @FalconPictures_) are here.
An Indonesian remake of the 2004 Thai horror classic by Banjong Pisanthanakun & Parkpoom Wongpoom.
In cinemas October, 30. 📸
Went to see “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” in IMAX.
It begins with Tom greeting the audience and ends with a glance he throws our way. This wasn’t a film about Ethan Hunt saving the world from the threat of digital domination — it was a film about Tom Cruise, putting his life on the line in a desperate struggle to save cinema itself, which is slowly vanishing from the world.
It was the movie of a man who lives and breathes film. I still want to see him keep making the impossible, possible.
I hope this series continues.
At 61, I’m proud to be a follower of Tom, who’s 62.