Photographer Sonia Reveyaz has spent the past two years capturing the spectacle of the Cannes film festival – not on the red carpet, but on the sidelines. Her images reveal a world she describes as “flashy, jazzy, tacky, it’s jet set, totally.” The Croisette, the palm-lined boulevard along the Mediterranean, becomes a stage where everyone dresses to impress, chasing invitations to the exclusive club that is the festival.
Reveyaz was initially drawn to film festivals for the movies, but quickly became fascinated by the hustle and bustle around them. “I wanted to know who they were and what brought them here,” she says. Her photographs capture eccentric characters: princess dresses, excessive Botox, dazzling jewellery, and gleaming Lamborghinis. The festival, she notes, has become a “symbol of the society of the spectacle,” where the line between parody and reality blurs.
Among the subjects is a jet-setter from the US promoting his biopic, “Who is Gatsby Randolph? Part 2,” on a rented yacht. Reveyaz often crops faces to anonymise those for whom appearance is everything, focusing instead on details like bare backs, Rolex watches, and bright red lips. These symbols of luxury are what define this world, where most eagerly pose for the camera, and some even request private photoshoots.
The red-carpet walk is a goldmine for brands, Reveyaz observes. Young women sometimes leave the theatre right after their appearance because their bulky dresses prevent them from watching the film. Partnerships have multiplied, from Nespresso-sponsored beaches to Louis Vuitton handbags, turning the film festival into a brand festival. “In May, the glamorous world of the jet set mingles with the rest of the hive: Mister and Miss Nobody, dreaming teenagers, scroungers, onlookers,” she says.
This mix of the ostentatious and the grotesque is both surprising and fascinating. Reveyaz’s work highlights the relentless pursuit of status and opportunity, where “fake it until you make it” is the prevailing mantra. The festival, she concludes, is a huge marketplace where anything seems possible – from being spotted as a model to signing with an agency.
