Roar, roar, roar.
Ahhh, beep, beep, beep.
The news conference at the Cinema Palace was buzzing with activity. Journalists stood up en masse, and the array of media outlets made the scene look like a circus.
This is Cannes—where everything goes crazy for the festival.
Moreover, the flashbulbs were incessant, creating a continuous wave like a summer downpour, the sound of camera shutters overwhelming the film crew.
Clearly, Alex and Eric were nervous. Even though they had experienced the red carpet, facing the frenzied media up close was an entirely different beast. Their stiff expressions gave them away.
Gus was shy and introverted as well, not particularly skilled in handling the press.
So, Anson stepped forward and grabbed the microphone from the table.
"So, do we need to strike a pose, or should we just act natural? This technique works in movies, but I'm not sure how it'll play out in real life. Are you guys sure?"
Ha-ha, ha-ha-ha.
With a bit of humor, the crowd burst into laughter, and soon the journalists began egging him on—
"Strike a pose!" "Give us something cool!" and other similar requests.
Anson put the microphone down and made a finger-gun gesture with his right hand, glancing down at it as if inspecting a real gun. The room collectively drew a sharp breath.
Anson looked back up at the reporters and mouthed: "Too soon?"
Another round of laughter erupted, accompanied by applause and whistles.
Given that the film was about school violence, striking a James Bond-like pose with a gun was clearly inappropriate. But Anson wasn't aiming for that—he just wanted to break the ice.
Now, looking back, it wasn't just Alex and Eric who were laughing, but Gus too.
Gus was clearly still riding the emotional high from the standing ovation the film received; his movements were still stiff from excitement. But Anson's joke helped relax everyone, and Gus's smile became more natural.
Anson then gathered the four main members of the "Elephant" crew and had them line up with the director in the center, facing the wall of flashing cameras. The shutter sounds were endless, far exceeding what anyone had anticipated.
No one wanted to miss a shot of Anson.
On the red carpet, photographers snapped away because of his popularity—Anson was undoubtedly a media darling. Everyone wanted to capture a moment that could go down in history.
Now, post-screening, it was about quality. The overwhelmingly positive reactions hinted at the film's success, and the media couldn't contain themselves.
Another hit?
That "another" spoke volumes about the excitement and disbelief of the media. It was as if they were experiencing déjà vu—this was the third time in a year that Anson had defied expectations, making the press feel like they'd been smacked in the face repeatedly.
Of course, the true quality of "Elephant" would still need to be validated by critics, the market, and audiences once they'd seen the film themselves.
Here, "market" refers to the Cannes Film Market, where distributors from around the world attend to acquire the rights to films. Unlike commercial blockbusters, art films often depend on this process to recoup costs and make a profit.
The future reception of "Elephant" would become clearer after further screenings at Cannes. As for awards, that was another matter entirely.
But one thing was certain—the fervor of the premiere had already guaranteed another success for Anson. The "pretty boy" label might not stick for much longer.
This explains why the flashes refused to stop.
As the smiles of his co-stars grew more strained, Anson stepped in once again, raising his hand to quiet the reporters and signaling for everyone to sit down.
Not just the film crew, but the journalists as well.
Finally, the room calmed down a bit.
But not for long. Once the Q&A session began, the frenzy returned—
Rustle, rustle, rustle.
A forest of raised hands, like a dense birch grove, stretched out before them.
The first question came.
"Anson, can you tell us why you chose this particular suit for the red carpet today?"
The room: ...???
Seriously? Asking about fashion at the Cannes Film Festival is already a bit shallow, but to bring it up right after a film's explosive premiere?
No one knew whether to feel sorry for Anson, who couldn't seem to escape his "pretty face" label, or disappointed in the quality of the question.
Is this really the standard of Cannes journalism?
A wave of murmuring spread through the room.
All eyes were on Anson as he spread his hands wide. "I'm used to this one."
With a touch of self-deprecating humor, he acknowledged the "pretty face" label he couldn't shake, easing the tension. Then, he turned serious.
"In fact, I did consider wearing something yellow like in the movie, but that really didn't look cool at all, so I passed."
...Such honesty.
The room erupted in light laughter.
"In the end, I chose this suit to reflect the theme of the film. The director and I discussed it, and we both thought it was a fitting choice."
Whoa!
Wait, what?
Anson's red carpet look wasn't just about making a fashion statement—it tied into the movie's theme?
Upon reflection, the answer became clear—
Red. Blood. Violence.
In the film, violence and killing erupt suddenly, but the camera doesn't linger on the blood. In fact, it deliberately avoids glorifying the gore, maintaining a cold and detached visual style throughout.
And in real life, Anson used his red suit to continue that narrative.
Now, looking closer, the outfits of Gus, Alex, and Eric also featured red elements. Clearly, this was a coordinated effort by the entire team.
This was… truly shocking!
Just as the media was beginning to discuss Anson's breakthrough in fashion, he had already taken it a step further by merging fashion with film.
The media couldn't keep up with Anson's vision.
Immediately, another reporter followed up, "So, the black hair is part of that too?"
Anson nodded. "On the one hand, it distinguishes me from the character in the film, but on the other, it resonates with the movie's theme. We can't continue to ignore the elephant in the room."
A statement. A call to action.
In a bold and rebellious way, he was drawing attention to the issue of school violence. Black symbolized death, red symbolized blood, and when these two colors clashed, they represented violence—perfectly aligning with the film's message.
Clearly, this wasn't just about looks—it was a declaration.
This is what it means to be a true fashion icon—
Fashion is not just about style; like any form of art, it should also be a form of expression.
The media needed to reevaluate their snark and envy. They thought Anson was merely riding Cannes' coattails, perfectly embodying the superficiality of a pretty boy, but they hadn't realized that the real joke was on them.
Buzz, buzz, buzz.
The press room was in shock.