Foul play is suspected in a massive power outage across the South of France on Saturday that has hit the final day of the Cannes Film Festival.
Local media is reporting that a fire at an electricity station outside the town of Tanneron overnight, followed by the downing of pylons close to the towns of Villeneuve-Loubet, Mougins and Cagnes-sur-Mer this morning had caused the electricity cuts which began at around 10 am local time (1 am PT).
French radio network Franceinfo said local police and sources at the Ministry of Interior had informed it that foul play was suspected, with signs that the downed pylons had been sawn.
In Cannes, the power cut briefly interrupted screenings in the Palais des Festival, before a generator kicked in, while a press conference for Kelly Reichardt’s Mastermind continued as normal.
The festival has said that the closing ceremony on Saturday evening will go ahead as planned thanks to the fact the Palais des Festivals is equipped with independent power.
In Cannes itself, Deadline journalists saw that lights in shops were off shops and restaurants, which could only take cash payments. But the ATMs that supply the cash were also out of action, and traffic lights had failed. Internet connectivity was hit and mobile communications difficult. Read the full report here.
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