Maybe Simone Signoret was right after all.
As I recall, the title of her 1976 autobiography was “La nostalgie
n’est plus qu’elle était” (“Nostalgia Isn’t What It Used To Be”.)
I remember her in twilight, sitting outside the Colombe d’Or,
clutching her shawl, hunched over like a little old French lady.
But while you wax poetic and I wane nostalgic, I hear another story, a
new story, that makes me remember how we felt about Cannes in our
halcyon salad days. And this story is unfolding as we speak.
He’s just a young guy from Newfoundland.
His name is Stephen Dunn.
Last November Stephen and seven other 1st year film students competed
in the Toronto 48 Hour Film Project. They entered a short film called
‘The Hall’ — a film which Stephen wrote and directed.
Competing against industry professionals many years their senior, they
won Best Film, Best Writing, Best Acting, Best Cinematography, Best
Editing and the Audience Choice award.
As a result they represented Canada at the Miami International Film
Festival in March, won the top prize, and were proclaimed to be one of
the Top 15 international short films for 2008.
‘The Hall’ was then chosen to screen in Boston on March 30 as one of
the best films in the history of the 48 Hour Film Festival.
And where did that lead them? To Cannes.
‘The Hall’ will be screened this Tuesday March 19 at the festival’s
Short Film Corner. (It will also be competing in the NFB’s online
short film contest.)
And while i get all nostalgic about the once and magical student hang-
out on the Rue d’Antibes, I doubt if Stephen Dunn has ever heard of La
Petit Carlton, let alone the Croisette hotel & terrace it was named for.
But then, he’s all about the present. And living every minute of it.
“I’m here now,” he emailed fellow Newfoundlander Rick Mercer, “and
it’s so effing intense. Yesterday I saw two films, saw Tilda Swinton,
listened to Martin Scorsese speak TWICE and watched Francis Ford
Coppela cry from 10 feet away. I’ve been here two days and can already
say that this has been my most incredible trip yet.”
To check out ‘The Hall’ and its filmmaker, his youtube channel has his
vlogs at
The trailer for his short film is at
And his facebook page is located at
Yes, it’s a new world. But some traces of the ‘old world’ excitement
still survive.
-/-
He’s just a young guy from Newfoundland.
He’s just a young guy from Newfoundland.
His name is Stephen Dunn.
Last November Stephen and seven other 1st year film students competed in the Toronto 48 Hour Film Project. They entered a short film called The Hall — a film which Stephen wrote and directed.
DUNN: kid from The Hall
Competing against industry professionals many years their senior, they won Best Film, Best Writing, Best Acting, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and the Audience Choice award.
As a result they represented Canada at the Miami International Film Festival in March, won the top prize, and were proclaimed to be one of the Top 15 international short films for 2008.
The Hall was then chosen to screen in Boston on March 30 as one of the best films in the history of the 48 Hour Film Festival.
And where did that lead them?
To this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
The Hall will be screened March 18 — this Monday afternoon — at the festival’s Short Film Corner.
SWINTON: at Cannes
(It will also be competing in the NFB’s online short film contest.)
Stephen Dunn is having a very good time in Cannes.
“I’m here now,” he emailed fellow Newfoundlander Rick Mercer a few days ago, “and it’s so effing intense. Yesterday I saw two films, saw Tilda Swinton, listened to Martin Scorsese speak TWICE and watched Francis Ford Coppola cry from 10 feet away. I’ve been here two days and can already say that this has been my most incredible trip yet.”
I predict he will be just fine. If he doesn’t implode by Monday.
To check out The Hall and its filmmaker, you can see his vlogs on his youtube channel right here.
To see the trailer for his short film, just click here.
And to send a message to him on Facebook — because, c’mon, you know you want to — just click here.
Bonne chance, Stephen.
Or we say in Quebec, Merde!
By George 