Cannes Festival Rocked as Chopard Jewels Are Stolen
Jewelery worth more than $1 million due to be loaned to stars at the Cannes Film Festival was stolen from a local hotel in a pre-dawn heist on Friday but the coveted Palme d'Or trophy was safe, officials said.
In a scenario itself worthy of a movie, thieves entered the hotel room of an American woman employee of Swiss bijoutier Chopard and ripped out the strongbox in the wardrobe, according to police reports.
They then made off with the safe and the jewels inside.
The robbery took place before 5:00 a.m (0300 GMT) at the Novotel hotel, which is located about 15 minutes from the festival venue, they said.
Police are looking at footage from the city's security cameras to hunt for clues, they added.
Chopard is one of the official sponsors of the festival, and one of its stores, complete with its own red carpet, lies on the palm-fringed beachfront, just opposite the venue.
The jeweler redesigned the Palme d'Or trophy and each year lends out jewelry to stars for their walk up the red-carpeted steps at the Palais des Festivals.
The photo-calls are hugely valuable to makers of gowns and jewelry, providing media exposure around the world.
Actresses at this year's festival who have donned Chopard jewelry include Julianne Moore, Lana Del Rey, Cindy Crawford, China's Fan Bingbing and Spain's Blanca Suarez.
Details about what was stolen were sketchy, but one police source said the jewels were "a matched set."
An official linked to the festival said the trophy was safe.
The Palme d'Or features 118 grams (four ounces) of yellow gold, with a value of more than 20,000 euros ($26,000), set in a base of rock crystal.
The history of the trophy dates back to 1955 -- by coincidence, the year that Alfred Hitchcock made "To Catch A Thief," about a gentleman robber and a jewel heist on the French Riviera.
And in another twist, the robbery took place shortly after the world premiere of "The Bling Ring," a true-to-life tale of a group of wealthy teenagers who burgle the homes of Hollywood celebrities.
The Cannes Film Festival is ranked as the world's most prestigious movie showcase.
Famous for a backdrop of an azure-blue sea, luxury yachts and champagne parties, it lures thousands of actors, directors, producers and movie buyers.
As a result, security in the streets and hotels is very high.
Thefts do occur, but police said they had no knowledge of any loss as big as Friday's during the annual 12-day bash.
Last year, thieves made off with four watches worth 400,000 euros ($513,000) belonging to football stars Souleymane Diawara and Mamadou Niang who were in Cannes for the festival.
Source: Agence France Presse
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