A Towel Theft and Recapping Cannes
The detective invites us into an interrogation room. He’s with his partner, holding a large recycling bag. He sets it on the table, then pulls on gloves. He’s not moving quickly.
He’s unnervingly good looking and seems more suited to a drug bust than what we’re here for: towel retrieval.
“So we can charge him if you want.”
“Charge him?” I ask.
“The thief. Lots of infractions.”
Does he want me to charge him? I’d just like my towels back.
“Where did you find him?” I ask.
“Stealing food. But your police report about the towels tipped us off. Maroon and pink…”
“Pale pink, yes…so you found him with the towels?”
“All kinds of stuff.” He gestures to the bag. “Tell your neighbours if they’re missing things, they might be here.”
He thumbs through the recycling bag, holding up a pair of shoes, some kind of radio, socks…
I wonder if one of my neighbours will come down to the station for socks. I’m only here for the Finnish towels.
“So, would you like to charge him?”
We’re back on that.
“Would it help to charge him?”
“Not really,” the female detective pipes up. “He’s already been released. The system, you know?”
“But it’s up to you,” the detective says. “It’s your choice.”
“Nah,” I say, looking at Simon. He just shrugs—he’s clearly here for the banter. I try to add more clarity to my voice. “No, thank you.”
Nobody reacts. Definitely not the hot detective. I half expect him to lean back and put his feet on the desk. I crack a joke about the expensive towels everyone in my neighbourhood now knows about. How my neighbour could tell from the box that whatever was in it was nice. I’m now the fancy towel lady on the street.
“Oof,” the good-looking detective says.
“Oof is right.”
That goes on for a while.
Then finally, he reaches into the bag—his muscles bulging—and pulls out my towels.
“You should wash them.”
Classy outfits in Cannes.
Premieres at Cannes. I felt so happy ingesting art in the middle of the day. Also at 8 a.m.! And 11 p.m. Every time. There is no wrong time to watch a movie at Cannes. Art at every hour with a thousand other people—each of us palpitating from the excitement. No wine, no popcorn. Just sitting, breathing, watching.
Three great film experiences:
Enzo. A French coming of age movie about 16-year-old Enzo from a privileged background who defies his family's expectations by pursuing an apprenticeship as a bricklayer and then falling in love with his boss.
Amrun, a German historical drama set in the spring of 1945 when the Nazis capitulate. The film follows Nanning, a devoted 12-year-old boy who has spent the war years working the fields to help his mother sustain their family only to discover secrets about his family’s crimes.
And...an immersive experience called Ito Meikyu—a labyrinth with no exit: “Life here is like a loom whose living weft is woven from a myriad of branching threads and paths.”
Now that I’m home, I’m watching a rugged Noah Wyle in The Pitt. Sometimes in 10 minute intervals because hemorrhaging tonsils can be a lot!
Upcoming events: Our Fireside Chat with the brilliant Emma Donoghue.