Dispatch From Cannes

A Smithsonian story on a baby orca named Luna led writer Michael Parfit and his wife Suzanne Chisholm to create documentary about the whale's journey. Parfit and Chisholm now take their film to Cannes and wait to see where Luna will lead them next.

Preparations are underway for the opening of the Cannes Film Festival on May 13

Day 1: The Stage Is Set at Cannes

Filmmakers and husband and wife Michael Parfit and Suzanne Chisholm watch preparations in Cannes and prepare to take on the festival behind the festival known as the Marché du Film
By Michael Parfit

Day 2: Building an Audience at Cannes

Like filmmaking itself, selling a movie at Cannes is an intense labor of love
By Michael Parfit

Day 3: Screenings and the Passions of Filmmakers

Documentaries on dolphin slaughter and reconciliation in Rwanda are contrasted by the glamorous party scene at Cannes
By Michael Parfit

Day 4: At Cannes, What's Your Tagline?

Beyond the red carpet and glamorous stars, films are boiled down to a mere few words, some more memorable than others
By Michael Parfit

Days 5 and 6: Dark Days at Cannes

The buzz surrounding a new film leaves Cannes-goers anxious, but Michael Parfit finds reasons for hope
By Michael Parfit

Days 7 to 12: A Cannes Farewell

As Michael Parfit bids goodbye to the Cannes Film Festival, there is good news for Luna from the Canary Islands
By Michael Parfit

Whale of a Tale

When Luna, a people-loving orca, chose Vancouver Island's Nootka Sound for his home, he set in motion a drama of leviathan proportions
By Michael Parfit