Friday, May 15, 2009

"It is not enough to like a film. One must like it for the right reasons."

Ebert on Pierre Rissient

As is my custom, I fell into a deep and dreamless slumber after arriving at the Hotel Splendid from the overnight flights. I was awakened two hours later by Chaz: "Pierre Rissient is downstairs!" If Barack Obama had been downstairs, I would have rolled over and buried my head in the pillow. But Pierre! My mentor of all things Cannes! Who knows more different people in the world of cinema than any other man! And there he was, in the little lobby of the Splendid, deep in thought with Laura Kim! Laura! Who in her days as a publicist always knew the skinny on all the good films in a festival, and touted them even if they weren't hers.

Complete blog entry: Cannes #2: I spring up from my deep slumber


Ebert's 2007 article:

The next time you are at the Cannes, Toronto, Telluride, Pusan, Berlin, Venice or Sundance film festivals, you will see this man. His name is Pierre Rissient. You may also see him in Paris, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and in the weather reports.

It is probable that Pierre, a Frenchman, knows more directors, actors, distributors, exhibitors and critics than any other single person in the film industry. I call him Pierre because I have known him for 30 years, and in recent years he has given me my daily instructions every morning in the breakfast room of the Hotel Splendid at Cannes. Pierre issues a lot of instructions.

But who is he, and what does he do? These are the questions that Todd McCarthy, chief film critic for Variety, sets out to answer in his new documentary, "Man of Cinema: Pierre Rissient." As far as I am concerned, it could also be called "Pierre Rissient: International Man of Mystery."

Complete article: Toronto #7: One T-shirt after another

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