Cannes Unplugged: Festival Glitz Meets Grit Amid Sudden Alpes-Maritimes Blackout

A major power outage hit the Alpes-Maritimes region of France on Saturday, leaving around 160,000 homes without electricity and catching the last day of the Cannes Film Festival. The blackout started just after 10am local time after a high-voltage power line collapsed and an electrical substation nearby caught fire overnight, which authorities say they are investigating as possible arson. 

 

French police announced they are investigating whether the fire leading to the power outage was started intentionally, but no arrests were made at this time. The outage caused massive dysfunction: The traffic lights of Cannes and nearby Antibes turned off, causing traffic jams; most Croisette shops closed their doors; local vendors switched to cash-only; trains also experienced interruptions in Cannes.

 

In spite of the chaos, Cannes Film Festival organizers managed to switch the Palais des Festivals - the main venue - to an independent power supply, reminding everyone their show would go on, events would go on as planned, and normal conditions would return for the very anticipated Closing Ceremony. Screenings at some festival venues briefly stopped, but started back up when alternative power sources were activated.

 

Authorities and grid operator RTE France worked throughout the day to restore lost electricity, most of it being restored as the afternoon approached. The investigation into the fire's origin and subsequent power outage is still in the early stages. 

 

Source: Al Jazeera