The thrill of the celebrity red carpet, the flash of the cameras, and the excitement of the movie premieres. The Cannes Film Festival is renowned for its glamorous parties and deals being signed for the latest film projects. However, there’s another side to the annual event. One in which those without the eye-watering budgets hardly get a look-in. Occupy Cannes! follows the team from Troma as they attempt to promote the screening of their latest opus and generate distribution sales.
True to their indie philosophy, Lloyd Kaufman and the Troma team throw themselves into promoting Return to Nuke ‘em High not only with gusto but also with plenty of cardboard and gaffer tape. Sadly, it seems the authorities don’t see the funny side of their antics, and they find themselves shut down at almost every turn and with every stunt.
Documented by Lloyd’s daughters Charlotte and Lisbeth (as well as the whole Troma team), and assembled and directed by his other daughter, Lily-Hayes Kaufman, Occupy Cannes! is a wonderful celebration of the scrappy underdog. Everything is captured in vivid detail, from the moment Lloyd is refused entry to a Coen Brothers film for wearing the wrong type of dinner jacket to the outrageous streaking of Zac Amico. For every humorous moment, there’s a grim reminder of the indies’ struggles that brings things crashing back down to earth.
There’s no denying the passion of the volunteers who willingly give their time and energy to Troma and their devotion to Uncle Lloyd Kaufman and independent media. Among the crew, sleeping head to toe in a small apartment, are British director Liam Regan and the late Doug Sakmann, who, like many, have worked on Troma films at some level. Their determination and enthusiasm for Lloyd and the company are infectious. While the stunts they carry out on this visit are pared down from the wild, hotel-busting antics of previous years, there’s still plenty that the local enforcers object to. They even shut down a tribute to film critic (and Russ Meyer cohort) Roger Ebert. Toxic Avenger masks are certainly a no-no, but no matter how disheartening things get, the team ploughs on.
Occupy Cannes! succeeds in presenting the passion that independent art can inspire. And while we could liken it to a David and Goliath story, the conclusion isn’t as triumphant. We share Lloyd’s frustrations at trying (and often falling short) to make a splash in a pool infested with corporate sharks. It’s a fascinating look at the resilience of the little guy and the crushing power of the juggernaut of the big studios, who’ll think nothing of spending hundreds of thousands on big billboards, yet seem to be so afraid of the indies. Vive la révolution!
