CANNES, France — The official language of the Cannes Film Festival is, like the Olympics, French. But Cannes is also a Babel, teaming with the tongues of every film industry from around the world.
In the international village, where nations have tented gathering places, wave the flags of dozens of countries. For Cannes to function, interpreters are a life blood. Through them pass the cacophonous dialects of Cannes, vessels connecting audiences with filmmakers and vice versa.
Twenty-one countries took part of the first Cannes film festival in 1946. It was partly imagined as a way to unite Europe after World War II. Over time, it’s grown increasingly global, as films from South America, the Middle East and Asia have grown commonplace.
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
