\n<\/p>\n
Traverso said that despite the less relaxed atmosphere, he still loves the give-and-take he has with his subjects. \u201cIf the star wants to play with the photographer, it\u2019s a pleasure,\u201d he said. The Americans are particularly good at it, he added, and know \u201cthey have to make also a show when they are in front of a photographer.\u201d<\/p>\n
David Lisnard, the mayor of Cannes, who has known Traverso since the 1990s, said in an email that his contributions to the festival have been \u201cimmense.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThrough his shots, we witness the evolution of the festival,\u201d Lisnard said. \u201cIt is an exhaustive, precise collection with both artistic and historical value.\u201d<\/p>\n
Until recently, Traverso would spend the rest of his time taking freelance photographs for local newspapers like Nice-Matin, which described him in a 2016 article as \u201cthe white wolf,\u201d<\/a> who was often spotted riding around town on his motorcycle and smoking cigarettes. According to Nice-Matin<\/a>, he and members of his family had worked with the paper since 1945.<\/p>\n Thierry Fr\u00e9maux, the director of the festival, said in an email that the work of the photographers has been crucial to the festival\u2019s success, and that Traverso, whom he has known since 2001, \u201chas a special place in the world of photography: He\u2019s from Cannes and he embodies an extraordinary lineage and family.\u201d<\/p>\n Next year will be Traverso\u2019s 50th festival, \u201cif God and Thierry Fr\u00e9maux want,\u201d he said. But he is otherwise focused on his family\u2019s legacy, and its vast archive that includes about 200,000 festival photos. He has occasionally displayed some of them in exhibitions in other cities, including New York, London and Tokyo.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n