A luncheon at sea to toast Ron Howard’s ‘Avedon’

Images: © Daniel Paik

In Cannes, particularly during high season and like the film festival, the often relentless schedule means the most coveted invitation isn’t always another screening ticket. Sometimes it’s an escape from the bustle.

On Monday 18 May, a select group fled the festival-packed city to the shoreline, boarding RENAISSANCE – the 112m superyacht and flagship of the Burgess charter fleet – for a luncheon hosted by journalist Graydon Carter and Alexander Klabin, Chairman and CEO of Ancient. The occasion? Celebrating the Cannes premiere of Ron Howard's ‘Avedon’ at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, unveiled the evening before.

The celebration carried an added surprise: Richard Avedon’s grandchildren joined guests on board to mark the moment alongside Ron Howard. Michael Avedon, Matthew Avedon, and Caroline Avedon gathered for a family photo to commemorate the occasion, while across the room, the film's producers – Sara Bernstein, Darcie Reisler, Dallas Rexer, Chris St John, and Justin Wilkes – refreshed their phones as the documentary’s reviews trickled in.

Lunch unfolded around live cooking stations lining the yacht’s pool, with a menu curated by Michelin-calibre chefs: bluefin tuna chutoro with chives and caviar, wagyu steak tartare on brioche, hamachi ceviche, chicken yakitori with Matsuhisa glaze, and charred beef short rib empanadas with chimichurri, among others. Beyond the Ruinart Blanc de Blancs, Château Minuty was poured throughout, as was a Hugo spritz. For those who wished to indulge, a RENAISSANCE dark chocolate crémeux and a warm RENAISSANCE cookie were on offer to cap off the afternoon.

Among the guests were actress Rosemarie DeWitt, manager and producer Courtney Kivowitz, and private Burgess clients.

Guests curious about their luxurious setting were whisked on a brief tour of the Bannenberg & Rowell-designed interiors, catching a peek at the double-height dining room, the lower deck cinema, and the wellness deck, before staff gently steered them back, noting that a proper tour of the vessel would require no less than an hour.

As the afternoon came to a close, guests drifted in pairs to the waiting limousine tenders, departing with a Burgess-branded bag containing an Anya Hindmarch gift and a selection of RENAISSANCE-branded items.