Cannes Film Festival: behind the scenes at the Carlton

Every year, during the Cannes Film Festival, flashbulbs crackle on the red carpet. But behind the haute couture dresses, impeccable stars and meticulously planned evenings, another machine is running at full speed: the backstage of the Carlton.

Luxurious palaces, yachts lined up in the bay, flashbulbs crackling at every arrival: during the Festival, Cannes becomes an open-air stage where anything seems possible — as long as you know how to open the right doors. And at the heart of this ultra-luxurious anthill is the Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel.

For more than twenty years, Maxime Nerkowski has observed the Cannes ballet there. Hired in 2002 as a valet, he is now head concierge and president of the Golden Keys for the region. Two decades spent managing the impossible with calm, elegance… and sometimes a lot of improvisation.

“The Carlton is emblematic. There is no equivalent. People often say it’s the Eiffel Tower of the Côte d’Azur,” he says with stars still in his eyes.

Maxime Nerkowski: “I was impressed by everything”

When he first pushes open the doors of the Cannes palace, Maxime is young. Very young even for the industry. Facing him: an experienced concierge service, made up of historical figures in the profession. He arrives with no real experience, but with an immense desire to learn. “I remember very well my first day at the Carlton. I was impressed by the hotel, by the teams, by these ‘gentlemen’ who already had entire careers behind them.”

Back then, concierges were often over 50 years old. Today, profiles are getting younger, professions are evolving, but according to him, certain rules remain immutable: “these are professions of passion and humility.”

During the Festival, the palace changes completely in scale. Classic “luxury” gives way to permanent effervescence. “During the fortnight, everything accelerates. The limit is 24/7.” And inevitably, requests sometimes become surreal.

Hard-to-find blue roses to retrieve urgently? Already done. “Two years ago, a client asked us to find several blue roses in less than thirty minutes. They were coming from Nice. We sent a bellhop on a scooter directly to the highway exit to avoid traffic jams.” Mission accomplished for the Carlton. And that’s just one example among dozens of others.

The day he had to sacrifice his jacket

Behind the Cannes scenes, every minute counts. A missed detail can become a global catastrophe in front of photographers.

So sometimes, the Carlton teams improvise. “One year, I had to give my own jacket to save someone very famous before climbing the steps.” Name kept secret. Elegance rules. But the image perfectly sums up the philosophy of the profession: finding a solution, at all costs.

At the Carlton, improbable requests have become almost normal. Among the most striking memories: installing grass on a suite terrace. Why? For the comfort of a small dog belonging to a public figure. “We were asked to put lawn on a terrace so the dog could do its business outside.” In Cannes, even animals live their best life.

Faced with clients used to having everything possible, how do you refuse an impossible request? Maxime Nerkowski’s answer sums up all the subtlety of the profession. “There is never a categorical no. We always look for an alternative.” In other words: transform the impossible into a five-star experience. Even under pressure, even in the middle of Cannes chaos.

And after the stars, the crazy requests and sleepless nights? Back home. “When I get home, I see my children and my wife again. I ask how school went.” A way of keeping your feet on the ground despite an extraordinary daily life. Because ultimately, behind the glitter of the Festival, there are above all women and men who keep the machine running in the shadows. And sometimes, a scooter racing at full speed on the A8 to save a red carpet climb.