Fan of the Indiana Jones saga since the first part, I admit it: the presence of the Dial of Destiny at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival made me wiggle as soon as it was confirmed. And the experience was beyond my expectations.
It all started with a real suspense. Was I or was I not going to land interviews for 20 minutes ? Would the film live up to my expectations? Would Harrison Ford want to talk or would he be grumpy as he has already been in the past? I tell you everything.
It started as a treasure hunt. “Keep a time slot between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., you will be taken to a top secret screening. So secret that we didn’t know where we were being taken. Well ok, it was at the multiplex Cinema, but when you move away from the Croisette during the festival, you find it exotic. And then the room was very beautiful with its giant screen.
The next day, first interviews (yes, I got them!). In the morning, Ethann Isidore, an adorable young Frenchman of 16, who embodies Indy’s sidekick. He responds in seven energetic minutes to my questions on camera. In the afternoon, director James Mangold talks to me longer and whose comments you can read when the film is released on June 28. I meet Mads Mikkelsen in the corridor, nice, he poses for a photo in a hurry.
The next day, it is first, the press conference where the journalists sing in chorus the theme of Indiana Jones – yes, me too – at the initiative of Didier Allouch, a nice moment of sharing. Then, it’s the Holy Grail: Harrison Ford himself in interview. Still upset by the surprise honorary Palme d’Or received the day before, he often has tears in his eyes during the interview. I pay my own tears as he is moved during our meeting. I had never seen him so upset despite the many interviews I had with him.
He still has his little scar under his chin. His voice, so recognizable, is velvet for the ears. Aware of his charm, he is not stingy with bright smiles even if his voice sometimes breaks due to emotion.
Impossible not to feel the impression of having an extraordinary chance to speak to a star of this caliber who looks good for his 80 springs. They snatched Harrison Ford from me too quickly, but it would have been too soon even if they had left him for two hours. No time to take a picture. Indy is gone and the adventure is over.