Before Cannes Wakes

Before Cannes Wakes tells the story of a night about cinema, the red carpet, and a silence that is pierced.

Xiao He, a young Chinese director selected for Cannes' Critics' Week for the first time, finds herself sleepless with nerves on the eve of her red carpet debut. She wanders alone to the beach in the early hours of the morning. In the distance, workers are replacing the red carpet that will be subjected to the gaze of countless camera lenses the following day.

She meets a cool girl named Zahar. The two share a cigarette, along with their mutual uneasiness about being in Cannes for the first time. They talk about film, identity, and home, as well as that red carpet which must be kept pristine.

The next day, Xiao He steps onto the red carpet for the first time. Amidst the flashing lights and the crowd, she spots the girl from the night before. Following a brief, knowing smile, Zahar suddenly storms the red carpet in protest. She is swiftly taken away by security, leaving Xiao He stunned in her tracks.

This is a short film about "being seen": some fight for the right to create, while others fight for the rights to their bodies and lives. The red carpet is not merely an entryway to cinema; it is a fracture opening up to the world's attention.