Reporting from Cannes, France — Dressed in his signature camouflage pants and headband, Phil Robertson, of “Duck Dynasty” fame, stood on the deck of a Riviera yacht here and poked at his dessert aux fraise with a tiny fork.
“It is when people forget God that tyrants forge their chains,” said Robertson, the star of the A&E reality series about a duck-hunting supply company, as he invoked Patrick Henry. “That’s why I’m here in Cannes, to remind people that if you forget God you run into a heap of trouble, dude.”
Robertson wasn’t just here to preach, though — he was here to sell a movie, offering his usual case for guns and God in a very different environment.
Just steps away from the Cannes Film Festival and its glitzy premieres lies another realm: the Marche, or market. Run as a sort of parallel universe to the festival, it is where anyone with a dream — or at least a producer and sales agent who paid their accreditation fees — can come to hawk their wares. This is the working-man’s side of Cannes, at times focusing on the brass tacks of commerce, at other times offering Hollywood’s version of vaporware.
Robertson was on the deck of a yacht —a glittery green affair called the “Sea Owl” owned by conservative activist and magnate Robert Mercer — peddling the documentary “Torchbearer” to reporters and distributors. Produced by David Bossie, head of the conservative advocacy group Citizens United, Stephen K. Bannon’s documentary features Robertson arguing that Darwinism and atheism are responsible for atrocities throughout the ages,
For 12 days every May, the luminaries of French and international cinema converge on this blinged-out town in southern France. They swan across paparazzi-lined red carpets, unveil auteur works to tuxedoed audiences at premieres for so-called “official selections” and discreetly sip Moet while chitchatting at seaside cocktail parties. The Duck Commander would not seem to be a part of these plans.
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French actress Marion Cotillard leaves after the screening of “Juste la Fin du Monde” (It’s Only the End of the World) during the 69th Cannes Film Festival.
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British director Ken Loach reacts as he receives the Palme d’Or award for his movie “I, Daniel Blake.”
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French Moroccan director Houda Benyamina poses with the Camera d’Or award for her movie “Divines.”
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Spanish director Juanjo Gimenez, center, receives the Best Short Film award for “Timecode” from French actress Marina Fois, right, and Japanese director Naomi Kawase.
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Iranian director Ashgar Farhadi, right, and Iranian actor Shahab Hosseini pose during the award winners photo call after they won the Best Screenplay award and the Best Performance by an Actor award for the movie “Forushande” (“The Salesman”).
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Canadian director Xavier Dolan with his Grand Prix award for “Juste la Fin du Monde” (“It’s Only the End of the World”).
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Filipina actress Jaclyn Jose with her Best Actress prize during a photo call at 69th Cannes Film Festival.
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Romanian director Cristian Mungiu with his trophy during a photo call after he was awarded the Best Director prize for the film “Graduation” (“Bacalaureate”).
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Mel Gibson and girlfriend Rosalind Ross
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British director Andrea Arnold poses with her trophy during a photo call after she was awarded with the Jury Prize for the film “American Honey” at 69th Cannes Film Festival.
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Actress Marion Cotillard and director Xavier Dolan arrive at the screening of the film “It’s Only the End Of The World.”
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Singer Iggy Pop, left, and director Jim Jarmusch arrive at the screening of “Gimme Danger.”
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Actor Leonardo DiCaprio conducts an auction during the amfAR’s 23rd Cinema Against AIDS Gala.
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Faye Dunaway, left, and actor Kevin Spacey perform on stage during the amfAR’s 23rd Cinema Against AIDS Gala.
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French actress and singer Stephanie Sokolinski arrives for the screening of the film “It’s Only The End Of The World” at the 69th Cannes Film Festival.
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Actress Valentina Acca, left, producer and member of the jury Valeria Golino, director Stefano Mordini, actress Marina Fois, actor and producer Riccardo Scamarcio and producer Viola Prestieri arrive for the screening of the film “Pericle (Pericle il Nero)” at the 69th Cannes Film Festival.
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Eric Anzalone, front, Ray Simpson, Jim Newman, Felipe Rose, Bill Whitefield and Alex Briley of the band Village People pose as they arrive for the amfAR’s 23rd Cinema Against AIDS Gala.
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Producer Harvey Weinstein and his wife, British actress Georgina Chapman, pose as they arrive for the amfAR’s 23rd Cinema Against AIDS Gala.
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Director Olivier Assayas, actress Kristen Stewart and actress Nora von Waldstatten attend the Cannes Film Festival screening of the film “Personal Shopper” on May 17.
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Milla Jovovich attends the De Grisogono party at the Cannes Film Festival on May 17.
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Kristen Stewart poses during a photocall for the film “Personal Shopper” at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday.
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From left, Inma Cuesta, Emma Suarez, Rossy de Palma, Adriana Ugarte and Michelle Jenner pose during the “Julieta” photocall at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday.
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From left, Viggo Mortensen, Annalise Basso, Nicholas Hamilton, Charlie Shotwell, Samantha Isle, Shree Crooks and director Matt Ross pose for photographers during the “Captain Fantastic” photocall at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday.
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French model Cindy Bruna arrives for the Chopard “Wild” party at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday.
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Former boxer Roberto Duran, left, and actor Robert De Niro pose for photographers at the screening of the film “Hands of Stone” at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday.
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Jason Derulo performs at the “Harmonist” cocktail party at the Plage du Grand Hyatt during the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday.
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Usher Raymond IV, left, Ana de Armas and Edgar Ramirez during a photocall for the film “Hands of Stone” at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday.
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Edgar Ramirez, left, Robert de Niro and Usher Raymond IV at the “Hands of Stone” photocall.
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Adam Driver poses during a photocall for the film “Paterson” on Monday in Cannes.
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Actor Adam Driver, left, actress Golshifteh Farahani and director Jim Jarmusch after Monday’s screening of the film “Paterson.”
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Chris Pine, left, and Ben Foster share a laugh at a photocall for the film “Hell or High Water” on Monday.
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Salma Hayek Pinault attends Kering Women in Motion talk at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday.
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Susan Sarandon, from left, Salma Hayek, Geena Davis and Kering CEO Francois-Henri Pinault arrive for the Kering Women in Motion Honor Awards during the 69th Cannes Film Festival.
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Actress and jury member Kirsten Dunst arrives at the premiere of “Loving” on Monday.
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Mischa Barton on the red carpet at the “Loving” premiere.
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Actors Murielle Telio, left, actor Russell Crowe, actress Angourie Rice, actor Matt Bomer, actor Ryan Gosling, director Shane Black and producer Joel Silver pose upon arrival at the screening of the film “The Nice Guys” at the 69th Cannes Film Festival.
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Actors Matt Bomer, left and Ryan Gosling and director Shane Black arrive for the screening of “The Nice Guys.”
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Actor Russell Crowe takes a picture at “The Nice Guys” premiere.
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Actress Geena Davis attends “The Nice Guys” premiere during the Cannes Film Festival at the Palais des Festivals.
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Actress Marion Cotillard poses as she leaves the screening of the film “Mal de Pierres (From the Land of the Moon)” at the 69th Cannes Film Festival.
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Model Kendall Jenner poses for photographers upon arrival at the screening of the film “Mal De Pierres (From the Land of the Moon).”
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Actress Sonam Kapoor poses as she arrives for the screening of the film “Mal de Pierres (From the Land of the Moon).”
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Actress Kirsten Dunst arrives for the Kering Women in Motion Honor Awards during the 69th Cannes Film Festival.
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Actors Sasha Lane, Shia LaBeouf and Riley Keough leave the “American Honey” premiere during the 69th Cannes Film Festival at the Palais des Festivals.
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Actress Aishwarya Rai poses as she arrives for the screening of the film “Mal de Pierres (From the Land of the Moon).”
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Actresses Sonam Kapoor, left, and Araya A. Hargate pose as they arrive for the screening of the film “Mal de Pierres (From the Land of the Moon).”
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Actress Salma Hayek arrives for the Kering Women in Motion Honor Awards during the 69th Cannes Film Festival.
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Actors Gael Garcia Bernal, Salma Hayek and Diego Luna arrive for the Kering Women in Motion Honor Awards.
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Actor Shia LaBeouf poses for photographers during a photo call for the film “American Honey.”
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From left: Director Jodie Foster, actress Julia Roberts, and actor George Clooney pose together before leaving the Festival Palace after the screening of their new film”Money Monster” at the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday night.
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Blake Lively on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival premiere of “Ma Loute (Slack Bay)” on May 13.
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Juliette Binoche arrives for the screening of “Ma Loute (Slack Bay)” at the Cannes Film Festival on May 13.
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Aishwarya Rai poses for the cameras at the Cannes Film Festival premiere of “Ma Loute (Slack Bay)” on May 13.
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Lily-Rose Depp poses at a Cannes Film Festival hotocall for the film “La Danseuse (The Dancer)” on May 13.
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Diego Luna, a member of the Un Certain Regard jury, waves during a Cannes Film Festival photocall on May 13.
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Juliette Binoche smiles during a Cannes Film Festival news conference for “Ma Loute (Slack Bay)” on May 13.
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Director Jodie Foster and actor Jack O’Connell discuss “Money Monster” in Cannes on Thursday.
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Julia Roberts of “Money Monster” at the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday.
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“Money Monster” director Jodie Foster, center, with stars George Clooney and Julia Roberts at the Cannes Film Festival.
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George Clooney of “Money Monster” waves to photographers at the Cannes Film Festival.
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George Clooney and Julia Roberts at the Cannes photo call for “Money Monster.”
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Actress Vanessa Redgrave and director Jim Ivory of the 1992 film “Howard’s End,” which is screening in the Cannes Classics section.
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Director Woody Allen, actress Kristen Stewart and actor Jesse Eisenberg arrive for the screening of “Cafe Society”and the opening ceremony.
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Festival director Thierry Fremau, from left, producer Jeffrey Katzenberg, actors Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake and festival president Pierre Lescure at the “Cafe Society” premiere and opening night gala.
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Actors Corey Stoll, left, and Blake Lively arrive for the screening of “Cafe Society.”
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Eva Longoria on the red carpet at the premiere of “Cafe Society” at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday.
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The scene outside the Cannes Film Festival’s opening night gala.
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Actress Kristen Stewart and actor Jesse Eisenberg arrive for the screening of “Cafe Society” and the opening ceremony of the 2016 Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday.
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From left, actresses Julianne Moore, Susan Sarandon and Naomi Watts pose for photographers at the Cannes Film Festival screening of Woody Allen’s “Cafe Society” on Wednesday.
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Cannes Film Festival jury member Donald Sutherland attends the “Cafe Society” premiere and opening night festival gala at the Palais des Festivals on May 11.
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Actress Gong Li arrives at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday.
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Actress Jessica Chastain smiles as she arrives at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday.
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Actor and festival juror Mads Mikkelsen appears on stage during the opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday.
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Actress and festival juror Kirsten Dunst waves to the crowd during the opening ceremony of the 2016 Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday.
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George Miller, president of the Cannes Film Festival jury, fourth from right, poses with jury members, from left, Arnaud Desplechin, Kirsten Dunst, Laszio Nemes, Vanessa Paradis, Donald Sutherland, Katayoon Shahabi, Mads Mikkelsen and Valeria Golino at the 69th edition of the festival in France on Wednesday.
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Actress Anna Kendrick, left, and Justin Timberlake, right, arrive by boat to the photocall for “Trolls” at the 69th annual Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday.
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Among those attending the “Trolls” photocall at the Cannes Film festival Wednesday, are, in front row, starting second from left, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Justin Timberlake, director Mike Mitchell, Anna Kendrick and director Walt Dohrn.
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Actress Kristen Stewart attends a photocall for the film “Cafe Society” at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday.
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From left, director of photography Vittorio Storaro, director Woody Allen, and actors Jesse Eisenberg, Corey Stoll, Blake Lively and Kristen Stewart attend the “Cafe Society” photocall during the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday.
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Actress Blake Lively poses Wednesday during a photocall for the film “Cafe Society” at the 69th Cannes Film Festival in France.
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Jury member Vanessa Paradis arrives at the 69th Cannes Film Festival.
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Cannes Film Festival jury member Valeria Golino arrives in southern France for the festival.
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Jury Director George Miller poses for photographers upon arrival at Cannes for the 69th international film festival.
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Jury member and actor Mads Mikkelsen at the 69th Canness Film Festival.
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Jury member Donald Sutherland arrives at the Cannes Film Fetival.
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A beach artist creates an image with sand on the beach in front of the entrance of the Festival Palace in Cannes.
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Jury members actress Kirsten Dunst, left, actress and director Valeria Golino and actress and singer Vanessa Paradis on the balcony at the Grand Hyatt Cannes Hotel Martinez.
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Iranian producer and jury member Katayoon Shahabi arrives at the Grand Hyatt Cannes Hotel Martinez.
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Hungarian director and jury member Laszlo Nemes arrives at the Grand Hyatt Cannes Hotel Martinez.
(Anne-Christine Poujoulat / AFP/Getty Images) Yet the market is a different world. All around town, industry players woo film buyers and the media, often with the help of famous faces. They rent out apartments along the town’s main Boulevard de la Croisette, often hanging large banners over terrace railings. They occupy booths in a trade-show space. They rent out commercial movie theaters not affiliated with the official and glamorous Palais des Festivals. And they set up what amount to portable offices in hotel bars, outdoor restaurants and, if they know the right people, docked yachts.
In talking up their projects, these players hope to win financing, lucrative foreign-territory sales and the most elusive currency of all: attention.
Some of the activity is of the more upscale Hollywood sort — excitement this past week centered on “The Irishman,” a long-gestating Martin Scorsese crime drama whose global rights were bought by the studio STX for as much as $50 million. But a lot of the action is over movies far less likely to reach the Oscar podium — pictures with titles such as “Kung Food” and “Monkey Twins,” or nonfiction movies featuring well-known personalities.
This year, the mix of such titles was as disparate as it’s been in some time. The emergence of film capital in places such as China — coupled with a widespread belief that movies are an increasingly affordable way to further a cause — has given the market a different energy. And though sellers grumbled about a slow start, the range of projects was entertainingly wide; in very few places would people of such different stripes would come together for a common purpose.
Barely a half-mile from Robertson’s pitch, several New Zealand filmmakers had joined with the French economic theorist Thomas Piketty, author of the dense treatise “Capital in the 21st Century.” In a sparsely furnished apartment just across the street from a row of expensive beach restaurants, they talked enthusiastically about why “Capital in the 21st Century” — the movie edition — could set the world afire.
“My goal has been to reach many people beyond academics and economists,” Piketty said. “To me, this movie is an opportunity to reach out to different kinds of audiences — to people who didn’t read the book, or bought the book and admit they didn’t read past the first chapter.”
Piketty had not been seeking to make a film. But he was persuaded by Matthew Metcalfe, an independent-film producer based in New Zealand, that this was a gamble worth taking, Metcalfe and the director, a director named Justin Pemberton, had been struck by both the ideas and the potential to visualize it, in part by collecting clips from the likes of Fred Flintstone and “The Simpsons’” Montgomery Burns. Metcalfe and Pemberton said they have begun financing the movie with a variety of undisclosed government and private sources, and were in Cannes to meet distributors, whose rights fees would further fund their efforts.
The day after the Piketty pitch, a Chinese production company was touting an “unofficial” sequel to the 1982 Oscar winner “Chariots of Fire,” titled “The Last Race.” “Race” tells the story of Scottish athlete Eric Liddell’s post-Olympic life as a Christian missionary in China. Liddell died in a Japanese internment camp during World War II.
“Many people have a very good memory of the famous movie ‘Chariots of Fire,’ ” said the director, Stephen Shin, speaking to the media and a smattering of distributors at an outdoor restaurant. “This story shows the significance of getting together around the world, especially in this time. We have to share love and understanding.”
British actor Joseph Fiennes has been recruited to play Liddell. “We explore China, we explore Eric, we explore what it was like for foreigners at the time and what it was like for Chinese under horrendous occupation of the Japanese,” he said, offering a description agreeable to his employers. Fiennes and the rest of the cast spoke a little longer then posed for photo ops for the Chinese and international journalists.
“Last Race” has already been completed. Unmade movies, on the other hand, can face a rockier road.
One day during the festival, singer Dionne Warwick turned out to a small press conference in the back room one day early in this year’s festival to announce news of, and attract sales interest for, a biopic about the early years of her career. At the event, the former Destiny’s Child singer LeToya Luckett was announced to play the young singer, while Lady Gaga would star as Warwick’s rival, Cilla Black.
The movie was coming from a little-known company called AMBI Pictures, which is the collaboration of an Italian producer Andrea Iervolino and Monika Bacardi, heiress to the spirits fortune. Warwick was in fine form, taking selfies and chatting with people in the room. “A lot of people think they know Dionne Warwick,” the singer said. “And very few people know Dionne Warwick.”
It turned out one of its stars didn’t know about this movie. Shortly after the press conference, Gaga’s representatives released a statement saying she had not committed to the project and in fact never heard of it.
Indeed, much of the market is about a kind of film-producer-wish-fulfillment as much as a reflection of reality. Many announced projects that may never get made, largely because their pitches fail to shake enough money loose from would-be distributors. A Justin Timberlake movie in which he would play the late record executive Neil Bogart, for instance, was announced to great fanfare three years ago but remains unmade. (Timberlake, incidentally, was at the festival this year too, performing with Anna Kendrick to promote their animated holiday movie “Trolls.”)
The atmosphere of the market can be one of beautiful chaos or maddening schizophrenia, depending on your point of view. A place where many people have come for action movies like “Showdown in Manila” can fit uneasily with a climate devoted to the purity of cinema.
“There’s a whole other Cannes that you don’t really see or know about when you’re in the middle of all the cinema,” said Cristian Mungiu, the Romanian auteur who won the Palme d’Or in 2007 and had an acclaimed film in competition this year. “It’s a very strange thing to realize, as if there are two events that have nothing to do with each other.”
Back on the deck of the yacht, Robertson and Bossie were equally unaware of the other side. They were mingling with guests, some of whom were affiliated with the film. Among them was Zach Dasher, Robertson’s nephew and the former Tea Party congressional candidate, who had written the “Torchbearer” script.
“It’s a little surreal to see Phil here in Cannes — all the beautiful people and the big hair guy in camouflage,” Dasher said.
“We’re a little out of our element,” Robertson chimed in, as he looked out at the epic expanse of the Mediterranean and drew an enti-evolutionary inference. “We live life at a slower pace where I’m from.”
Bossie, meanwhile, was staying focused on the business.
“We got a Polish deal just today at our market screening,” he said. “It was totally worth it to come here.”
steve.zeitchik@latimes.com
