CANNES – The stars of Cannes Film Festival have stayed home, its prestigious grounds repurposed as a homeless shelter, and the beaches closed.
The French Riviera resort of Cannes would normally be abuzz with cinema glitterati on a Tuesday such as this — scheduled as the opening night of the annual festival — but during the time of coronavirus, it is a ghost town.
The world’s biggest film festival was canceled this year for the first time since World War II. A couple of mask-wearing residents sit on the edge of the empty promenade to catch the morning sun, dangling their feet above the sand and next to an “Access and Swimming Prohibited” sign.