Read Jodi & Andrew's first blog about preparations for Cannes and why they got invited! What a time we had!
 | | Jodi and Andrew - the red carpet moment |
It’s hard to say what was the best part of being at the Cannes Film Festival - seeing our dear friend win the coveted "Prix du Jury", meeting top Hollywood producers, rubbing shoulders with stars, going to parties with free-flowing champagne or seeing a fabulous movie graced with a 25 minute standing ovation. Our time in Cannes was spent in the company of "the boys" - friends from Andrew’s childhood. "The Boys" didn't really understand a girls desire to spend hours getting ready for her once in a lifetime red carpet moment. A dip in the Med Instead we had a dip in the Mediterranean on the way to Cannes and then ran around the city with my dress in a plastic bag, looking for a place to change our clothes in 10 minutes. Not exactly what a girl counts on before going up the red carpet!
 | | Jodi on the red carpet |
Once I got past this distress however, the world of the Cannes Film Festival opened itself to unbelievable fun. This was the first time we saw the finished version of the film and the crowd’s reaction was amazing. Our name in lights - well, on the credits People were cheering one minute and then crying their eyes out the next. Everyone was then silent as we saw our names listed in the credits.
 | | Andrew and Jodi - the aftershow party |
The film though, was only as emotive as the following 25 minute standing ovation. The star, Catherine Deneuve, her daughter Chiara Mastroianni and our friend Marc-Antoine Robert, along with the writer and director, Marjane Satrapi, were just a few rows ahead of us. Emotions were running high through the entire cinema of 2,800 people. Our hands were all burning from clapping but no one was willing to stop after the amazing film we witnessed, which I think has marked us all for life. Party time After this, the parties began. We started at a small private do at our friend Marc-Antoine’s hotel, where we chatted with the writer/director who thanked us for our translation and we met the Americans from the production company who had read our translated script. I asked a man at the party whether the reaction after the movie was normal and he said that the last time he had seen that was when ET came out.
 | | The setting of the aftershow party |
I soon learned that the man I was talking to was Frank Marshall who actually made the movie ET! I almost choked on my champagne. Next, we moved onto the dinner party which was in an enormous tent on the beach with one side open on the Mediterranean. The mood was like a big family wedding where everyone was happy and simply looking to have a lot of fun with their fellow party-goers. Everyone we met seemed to run some important production company or similar business, but the fact that we had no idea who they were only seemed to make them happier to have a good time with us. Time to go Mickey
 | | Champagne all round |
Finally, there was also a late-night after party. We ended up at a table with Mickey Rourke and lots more champagne, but realised then that it was definitely time to leave. So, did we run into other stars? Yes, a few. We saw Jane Birkin going into Marc-Antoine’s hotel and our friend was almost hit by a car which chauffered Goldie Hawn. We also saw a lot of Catherine Deneuve and her daughter at the screening and the parties. After more bottles of champagne than hours of sleep, we were driven to the Nice airport where we were side by side in the check-in queue with none other than Claudia Schiffer. Back home Coming back to Birmingham, much as we love it, we felt like it was another world. Still, we’re extremely excited about the version of the film in English which is being made this summer. Keep a lookout for Persepolis! And we'll always have our 'red carpet memories'. Jodi & Andew | 
