Cannes is a pilgrimage. A journey of personal exploration I’ve been going to Cannes since 1996 to worship at the altar of creativity. I go in search of meaning, purpose, and ideas. There’s a sense of belonging here, like it’s our own nation of imagination. I was born in Kerala. But Cannes is my other birthplace. I was re-born here through a series of revelations, epiphanies and magic moments. Things happen to you and you are not the same.
I remember the year 2004 at Cannes. I saw the most beautiful film at the Grand Auditorium of the Palais des Festival. It was part of the New Directors’ Showcase. The story is about a little boy who, in the middle of play, traps the shadow of a plane in an old tin box. He carries the shadow wherever he goes and even takes it to school. The airline authorities find him and request him to release the plane from the tin box. The boy thinks about it, and finally decides to set it free. What follows is magical. You’ve got to see it. It’s an ad for Argentina Airlines. There is a message at the end, but I could not read it because my eyes were filled with tears. I had just witnessed the most innocent and inventive film of the show. In the process, I found something. The little child in all of us.
Then there was the time in 2012. I was a speaker at Cannes alongside the legendary creative leaders of BBDO. As a network, we decided not to focus on ourselves but shine the light on someone else’s work. I chose Mumbai Mirror’s ‘I am Mumbai’ film – done by Taproot and directed by Abhinay Deo. On stage in the grand auditorium, we deconstructed the film for the worldwide audience. I spoke in detail about the context, cast, music, editing, camera work, performance and direction. After my presentation, I had a crowd of people after me. Strangers offered me lunch. Someone stopped me in the middle of the road to give me a pack of freshly ground coffee. At the Gutter Bar I didn’t have to pay for my drinks. People waved and smiled. They thanked me for sharing the work and for giving them a deeper understanding of the film and the cultural codes of the city. I never realised that ‘sharing’ can be so powerful. May be ‘sharing’ has a purpose. It is makes us equal.
In 2015, we won the Grand Prix at Cannes in the inaugural Glass Lion category. I still remember that night. We were not at Cannes, we were in Delhi. It was 2 am when Ajai Jhala (former CEO) and I got the call. We were told that we had just won the most significant Grand Prix at Cannes! They wanted us there in 24 hours! Unfortunately we could not make it to Cannes in time. My visa had just expired. Chris Thomas (former CEO, BBDO Americas) went up on stage wearing a mask of my face to receive our award! What an amazing gesture by Chris and BBDO Worldwide! So generous and unforgettable!!!
The Grand Prix win for P&G Whisper ‘Touch The Pickle’ and the Gold for Ariel #ShareTheLoad that year was an affirmation. You go through life doing what you love and then one day love finds you and gives you a big hug. That’s Cannes for me. Miracles happen here! And so you keep on seeking and searching for the holy grail. The pilgrimage never ends.
Josy Paul is the chairman and chief creative officer of BBDO India. All views expressed are personal.