The Cannes Film Festival not only welcomed the biggest cinema stars this year. The series The White Lotus also set up its cameras there for filming its next season, transforming the Croisette into a genuine open-air set.
Meticulous organization
Among the people who participated in this immersion is Aelle, aged 24. An extra on the set, she describes the experience as “incredible” and unforgettable.
The filming took place at night, with particularly long days, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. Even before shooting, participants had gone through costume fittings and preparations for different scenes.
Nothing was left to chance. Every person appearing on screen was photographed to ensure perfect continuity between sequences, from outfits to makeup to hairstyles. A level of demanding that particularly struck Aelle: “even for the most discreet roles, everything is perfectly organized.”
The profiles were varied: festival-goers, photographers, or tourists. Some wore costumes provided by production, others kept their uniforms after having worked at the Cannes Film Festival.
Recreating the energy of the Festival
On set, the objective was to recreate the energy of the Cannes Film Festival. Crowds had to be played leaving screenings, going up and down the steps, or walking around the Palais des Festivals.
Aelle discovered along the way certain little-known aspects of filming. To preserve sound, sometimes you just had to mime conversations. “At first, it’s quite strange to pretend to chat without saying a word,” she recounts.
At other times, conversely, the crews asked to speak louder to capture ambient sounds reused during editing. “It’s impressive to see everything that goes into a few seconds on screen,” she adds.
Between waiting and meetings
The experience was also marked by long hours of waiting. “Being an extra is quite tiring because you have to wait a lot,” Aelle confides. Despite the fatigue, she keeps a very positive memory of those days.
“The teams were really very nice and it allowed me to make beautiful connections,” she explains. She was also able to catch a glimpse of several actors as well as the creator of the series Mike White, a significant moment for this great admirer of The White Lotus.
“It was a wonderful experience to be able to participate in the filming of one of my favorite series,” she adds. More broadly, she emphasizes the importance of seeing this type of production invest in the French Riviera: “it’s nice to see big productions like this one taking place on the Côte d’Azur and that it’s developing more and more.” She sums up this adventure as “an incredible opportunity.”
The amazed perspective of cinema lovers
Among the spectators present was also Emma, aged 21, passionate about cinema and a fan of The White Lotus. Observing the filming in the heart of the Cannes Film Festival was for her a privileged moment. “I had stars in my eyes,” she confides.
The young extra especially remembers the impressive organization surrounding the filming, which allowed her to discover the behind-the-scenes of an international production.
This immersion reinforced her desire to discover the rest of the series: “it made me even more want to watch the new season.”
Between technical rigor, meticulous organization, and friendly atmosphere, this filming of The White Lotus in Cannes left an impression.
For both Aelle and Emma, the experience offered rare access to the behind-the-scenes of cinema and the making of an international series. Both also retain the transformation of the Croisette into a fictional setting, further proof of the appeal of the Cannes Film Festival and the place the French Riviera occupies in major audiovisual productions.
