Buzz, buzz, buzz.
It wasn't loud or chaotic, but the constant rustling filled the air of the Lumière Hall, with the temperature steadily rising.
The Lumière Hall, which could seat 2,000 people, was packed. The first and second floors were completely full, with crowds packed into every nook and cranny. The faces in the audience were brimming with excitement and anticipation, and a sacred, passionate atmosphere was palpable—this was Cannes.
They take movies seriously here.
And when the cast members made their entrance, applause broke out spontaneously.
Maybe Anson was just a pretty face, and maybe Alex and Eric were ordinary people with no acting experience. But none of that mattered. The audience in Lumière Hall was eager to welcome them with the highest regard.
Then, when director Gus Van Sant appeared, the applause hit a crescendo.
Clap, clap, clap.
The entire hall erupted.
Anson, Alex, and Eric were bewildered by the overwhelming response, while Anson felt like he was walking on air, unsteady and dazed. It was his first experience with something of this magnitude.
So this is what the temple of cinema looks like—
They hadn't even seen the movie yet, but just their appearance alone had earned them warm, sincere applause. The audience's love for movies and their high hopes were enough to create this atmosphere. The feeling of anticipation before entering a theater, before the movie begins, is like opening a treasure chest. Maybe what's inside will disappoint, but the excitement before the reveal is irreplaceable.
Clap, clap, clap.
The applause continued to rise.
Eric was confused, and who could blame him? From the red carpet onward, all of this had been far beyond the comprehension of an average high school student.
He couldn't help but glance at Anson: What do we do?
Anson was just as clueless. Like them, this was his first time at Cannes.
But Anson, being a bit more mature, quickly regained his composure, joined in with the applause, and blended into the atmosphere.
Eric and Alex, following his lead, clapped along awkwardly.
When Gus reached his spot, he couldn't help but notice the trio clapping like otters. His words caught in his throat, and then a helpless smile spread across his face as he motioned for them to take their seats—
The movie was about to begin.
The opening applause didn't last long, and, thankfully, there were no unnecessary introductions or speeches. They jumped straight to the point.
Gradually, the lights dimmed, and the once-buzzing Lumière Hall fell silent in an instant. Only the lingering warmth and the faint rustling of the audience remained, gently settling over the skin, a reminder that what had just happened wasn't a dream.
But there was no time to marvel, as a single beam of light pierced the darkness, drawing everyone's gaze. Minds, still scattered with thoughts, were now focused solely on the large screen, as if about to dive down the rabbit hole into an adventure, much like Alice in Wonderland.
Elephant—this was a special film, one that was hard to predict and even harder to summarize. It was like the surface of a calm lake—
Serene and deep, with no ripples and no sense of temperature, but beneath it hid strong undercurrents that silently pulled you in, bit by bit, into the cold and the dark. And by the time you realized what was happening and tried to fight back, it was already too late.
The movie opened with a football game.
The camera pointed at the sky, filtered through a cool, misty lens. You couldn't see what was happening on the field, or any players. Only from a few garbled snippets of dialogue could you piece together that it was a football game.
Or maybe it was a baseball game, or just some kids playing tag.
Calm, yet solemn.
Detached, yet intense.
From the start, the movie established its unique tone, but that was only the beginning.
"Anson."
A familiar name appeared on the screen. Before the audience could react, "Anson Wood" made his entrance—a regular high school student with the same name as the lead actor.
Clearly, this was a special creative choice. Especially when you remembered the events on the red carpet earlier, seeing Anson Wood on screen blurred the line between reality and fiction. The audience was pulled into the movie in an instant.
But was it strange?
Not really, considering Anson was the lead character. It made perfect sense that the story would start with him, nothing to be surprised about.
However, just two minutes later, the audience was confused. The movie abruptly shifted perspectives to another unfamiliar student.
A new face, an unknown actor who wasn't present at Cannes, suddenly stole the focus from Anson.
Is this normal?
One question led to another. The movie wasn't presenting any particularly gripping plot points right away—just typical high school life. But with the changing perspectives and the clearly disjointed timeline, the audience was quickly thrown off balance—
Like in Memento.
The audience became alert, fully focused, trying to figure out what was happening and what tricks Gus Van Sant was up to.
It didn't take long for the truth to become clear, though. After all, this wasn't a complex sci-fi thriller.
This was more like a "documentary," intertwining multiple storylines with a fractured timeline, presenting various perspectives of life in a high school.
Anson was just one of many. He wasn't special—no superpowers, no main character syndrome. He was simply part of the larger tapestry of the school.
It was one sunny afternoon, the weather particularly bright and clear, full of life.
"Anson."
A high school student, clearly burdened by family troubles.
With a father who drank and a mother who was gone, Anson planned to skip school but got caught by his father. To avoid his father driving drunk, Anson had to take the wheel himself to school. Even then, he worried his father might still drive under the influence, so he called his brother to come pick up their dad.
Of course, Anson arrived late and was scolded by the principal.
Afterward, he still didn't want to go to class, wandering the halls instead, quietly wiping away tears, though it wasn't clear why—he just needed to cry.
"Elyse."
A photographer and fellow student, whose mind was consumed with how to take great pictures.
Elyse had her own darkroom at school, where she developed her photos right after shooting them, eager to see the results.
She smiled when she saw Anson in the hallway and asked him to pose for a few shots. Afterward, she didn't feel like attending class either and headed to the library instead, excitedly searching for photography books.
The camera followed these students like a ghost, silently recording their day-to-day lives.