It is a rainy French town on the English Channel usually given over to gambling, horse-racing and designer shopping, but every September Deauville pulls in a bevy of stars and top-notch directors as it devotes itself to showcasing American celluloid.
This year it saw Kevin Spacey lashing out at the Republican electoral machine; Spike Lee doing his bit to right the historical wrongs done to African-Americans; Ed Harris and Samuel L. Jackson presenting their latest work; and a dozen so-called "independent" directors competing for the top prize to be handed out on Sunday.
The festival has, over the last 34 years, lent a new lease on life to the tiny town located on the Normandy coast near where hordes of US and Allied soldiers waded ashore in 1944 to free Europe from Nazi control.
"It's by far the biggest showcase for Deauville's international image," said an official at the town's tourist office. He noted that last year 55,000 people attended the 10-day event and 90 percent of them came from Paris, just two hours train or car ride away.
Although Deauville suffers from being held at the same time as the higher-profile Venice and Toronto film festivals, it is nevertheless France's most prestigious movie event after Cannes.
Star power was not quite so bright this year as in 2007, when George Clooney and Brad Pitt came to town. But festival organisers say they go for quality and not glamour.
Christophe Carriere, a culture blogger for L'Express news magazine, lashed out at cynics who he said were claiming Deauville was "finished, or at best in its death throes."
"The editorial quality (of the festival) is undeniable," he said, pointing in particular to the "Uncle Sam's Docs" section showcasing US documentaries, such as "Standard Operating Procedure" by Errol Morris, on the horrific photos that emerged from the notorious US jail in Iraq, Abu Ghraib.
This year's festival honours Spike Lee with a full retrospective of his work. Lee was due to present late Wednesday the European premiere of his latest film, "Miracle at Santa Anna", which he says shows the forgotten contribution of African-American soldiers in World War II.
The festival programme features around 100 films, split between new features, the "Uncle Sam Docs" documentary section and classics.
The festival jury headed by French actress Carole Bouquet will this year choose from an 11-strong competition line-up of independent American films, among them "Towelhead" by Alan Ball, with Aaron Eckhart, "Smart People" by Noam Murro, with Sarah Jessica Parker and Ellen Page, and "Afterschool" by Antonio Campos.
Last year, "The Dead Girl" by Karen Moncrieff scooped the top prize.
Viggo Mortensen and Ed Harris were also in town this year to present "Appaloosa," a Western which Harris directed and in which he plays a rogue marshal.
Samuel L. Jackson was expected with director Neil LaBute for "Lakeview Terrace", which has Jackson play an uptight cop who harasses the racially mixed couple who live next door to him.
Kevin Spacey signed autographs for fans as he walked up the red carpet on Tuesday to present "Recount", a made-for-television movie which chronicles the turbulent weeks in Florida after the 2000 US presidential election.
Deauville is given over to Americana for the 10 days of the festival, sporting tiny American flags sticking out of pot-plants, large ones on walls, and posters bearing the faces of Hollywood's finest adorning lamp posts.
Unlike bigger festivals, the Deauville film fest has few security restrictions, no big crowds and no big bucks bustle as there is no official trade market.
Many of the stars feel comfortable strolling around town or, like Clint Eastwood when he turns up here, jogging along the vast sandy beach.
Copyright 2008 AFP Global Edition
