Cannes Like It Hot; Marilyn Monroe Graces 2012 Festival Poster

Last year the fest gave us a contempo Juliette Binoche painted in blue, this year we’ll be going back in time. Not sure if last year’s My Week with Marilyn sparked any renewed interest in the icon, but the Cannes people certainly think that a plastered image of the actress on the Croisette would make for some great eye-candy this coming May. My personal favorite from recent years is the L’Avventura (Michelangelo Antonioni) inspired poster. Here’s what the press release has to say about the image from the Bronx agency (Paris) – a poster created from a photo by Otto L. Bettmann.

Each of her screen appearances sparks the imagination. The Festival poster captures Marilyn by surprise in an intimate moment where myth meets reality – a moving tribute to the anniversary of her passing, which coincides with the Festival anniversary. She enchants us with this promising gesture: a seductively blown kiss. The Festival is a temple of glamour and Marilyn is its perfect incarnation. Their coming together symbolises the ideal of simplicity and elegance.