Episode 1 The first edition of a new era
From the fifth row... in Cannes
This year is set to be a strange one for the festival, whatever happens: the coronavirus means only half the usual number of guests will be attending, many restrictions are still in place and the film world is still engulfed in crisis. But this isn’t the first time Cannes has faced setbacks: the very first edition was cancelled due to the outbreak of World War II, and in 1968 the festival was closed down by striking filmmakers. Cesar will talk with podcast guests including Mark Cousins, the Scottish documentary filmmaker who has dedicated a special episode of his series The Story of Film to the pandemic. Cousins will also be in Cannes with his documentary on Jeremy Thomas, an influential film producer who has seen the festival change over recent decades.