Electricity disaster in Cannes: arson as a suspected cause!

Electricity disaster in Cannes: arson as a suspected cause!

On May 24, 2025, the Région Alpes-Maritimes experienced a significant power failure in the south of France, including the city of Cannes, which left around 160,000 households without electricity. The failure started shortly after 10 a.m. (8:00 a.m. GMT) and led to a massive influence on the local infrastructure. Among other things, the traffic lights did not work, which meant that traffic police officers had to intervene in a regulatory manner to steer traffic. Business could only accept cash, which many of them put in a difficult situation, since the restaurants in the city mostly remained empty. The electricity supplier RTE France is working on restoring the normal energy supply and confirmed the incident. A possible intentional action is currently being examined after a fire in a high -voltage center in Tanneron was found as a likely cause.

The French police have not yet made any arrests, but takes the investigation into the possible arson seriously. At this point it becomes clear that the authority is actively interested in investigating the incident, which took place against the background of the top -class Cannes Film Festival.

Cannes Film Festival under pressure

The Cannes Film Festival, which is planning its final ceremony on the same day, was not directly affected by the events. Festival organizers successfully switched the Palais of the festival to an alternative power supply, so that the events and in particular the award ceremony of the Golden Palm could take place according to the plan. The jury, chaired by French actress Juliette Binoche, had the task of output the winners from 22 films submitted.

The favorites on the Golden Palm include works such as "A simple accident" by Jafar Panahi, "The Secret Agent" by Kleber Mendonça Filho and "Two Prosecutor" by Sergei Losniza. A secret favorite is "Sentimental Value" by Joachim Trier, who received applause for 19 minutes at his premiere. Mascha Schilinski was also perceived positively for her film "Look in the sun".

political messages in the film

The festival is not only a platform for filmmakers, but also a space for social and political discussions. This year, topics such as the war in Ukraine and the humanitarian situation in Gaza were the focus of the discussions. More than 900 actors and directors, including well -known personalities such as Jim Jarmusch and Julian Assange, signed an open letter that condemned the "genocide" in the Palestinian areas. Todd Haynes expressed his criticism of the US government under Donald Trump and described the situation in the USA as "barbaric".

The current situation in Cannes, both with regard to the disorders due to the power failure and the thematic depth of the films shown, shows how closely cultural events are linked to current social and political issues. The developers and spectators are challenged to deal with both the shown and to understand the background of the incidents on site.