A massive power cut affecting around 160,000 households disrupted the final day of the Cannes Film Festival, with organizers relying on backup generators to continue events. Police are probing a potential arson incident linked to the outage.
Power Outage Strikes Cannes Film Festival on Final Day
Power Outage Strikes Cannes Film Festival on Final Day
A significant power outage affected Cannes and surrounding areas during the closing day of the prestigious film festival, with suspicions of arson.
A power outage in south-eastern France caused substantial disruptions on the last day of the Cannes Film Festival, impacting screenings and local businesses. Approximately 160,000 homes in Cannes and the surrounding Alpes-Maritimes region experienced a blackout on Saturday, according to the country's electricity operator RTE. Authorities are investigating potential arson as the cause of the incident, specifically targeting a power substation.
Despite the disturbance, festival organizers confirmed that the closing ceremony would proceed as scheduled, thanks to an alternative power supply. Local restaurants and shops, however, faced significant challenges during the outage. Laurent Aboukrat, owner of Jamin restaurant, expressed frustration at the loss of power, stating, "Another hour and I'll throw everything away," as his refrigeration system failed.
The atmosphere in Cannes was notably tense, with Australian producer Darren Vukasinovic describing it as "crisis territory" due to the lack of food and coffee. Power was restored by 15:00 local time (11:00 GMT), alleviating some of the pressure on businesses in the area.
As the festival's finale rolled on, festivities continued amidst backdrop of the interruption, with winners of the prestigious Palme d'Or award set to be announced by French actress Juliette Binoche and her jury.
