News On the occasion of its 150th anniversary, Chopard shone brighter than ever at the 63rd Cannes Festival.
For Chopard, the Cannes Festival has been a red-letter event ever since Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele redesigned the Palme d'or at the end of the 1990s. It was even more so this year, since 2010 marks the 150th anniversary of the watchmaker and jeweller based in Meyrin, Geneva. The firm therefore pulled out all the stops from 12 to 23 May on la Croisette and was present in one way or another at every event of importance: arrivals on the famous red-carpeted steps, private soirées, awards ceremonies, etc. Three such events were of particular interest.
Firstly the award of the Chopard Trophy, which took place on 13 May in the lounges of the Hôtel Martinez. Since 2001 this prize has singled out two particularly talented young actors and went this year to Liya Kebede, who gave a heartrending performance in the film Desert Flower, inspired by the life of Waris Dirie, and to Edward Hogg, excellent in White Lightnin'. The winners received their trophies in the presence of Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele, co-president of Chopard, Gilles Jacob, president of the Cannes Festival, and this year’s patron, British actress Helen Mirren. After the ceremony, those in attendance congregated on the terrace of the Chopard Lounge on the seventh floor of the hotel for an intimate and glamorous evening. Guests included Jean-Marc Barr, member of the 2010 Chopard Trophy jury, the Italian actresses Laura Chiatti and Moran Attias, and French actress Aïssa Maiga.
Then there was the gala evening organised on 17 May by Chopard in the VIP Room, the famous club on la Croisette which is a bastion of Cannes nightlife, where up to a thousand guests packed the dance floor. To celebrate the firm’s 150th anniversary in fitting style, Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele had invited the famous American singer Lionel Richie. For more than an hour the latter reprised his biggest hits, including Say You Say Me, All Night Long and Hello, which he performed specially for Chopard’s co-president after inviting her onto the stage. Many stars made the trip to be present at this event: the French actresses Marion Cotillard, Emmanuelle Béart and Clotilde Coureau, the English actress and member of the jury Kate Beckinsale, as well as American actresses Naomi Watts and Meg Ryan, model Naomi Campbell, producer Harvey Weinstein and leading dancer Eleonora Abbagnato.
Lastly, the closing ceremony on 23 May saw Thai film maker Apichatpong Weerasethakul receive the Palme d'or for his film "Uncle Boonmee, Who Can Recall His Past Lives". Also designed and produced by Chopard, the mini-palme awards rewarding the best performances by male and female actors were shared this year by Juliette Binoche for Certified Copy by Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami, Javier Bardem for Biutiful by Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarrito, and Elio Germano for la Nostra Vita (Our Life) by Daniele Luchetti (Italy).
June 16, 2010
