Emma Watson is currently living in the present, practicing being in the world without the pressure of producing. This past May, that meant travelling to the Cannes Film Festival to immerse herself in movies with her friend and filmmaker Hassan Akkad after a self-imposed break from the public eye. It’s there that Greg Williams captured pictures of the actor playing her new obsession: pickleball. ‘It’s the sound the ball makes when you smack it; it’s the best therapy I never paid for,’ she says as she plays. Having had a hectic film career since she was just 10 years old and cast as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter franchise (going on to The Bling Ring, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Beauty and the Beast and Little Women), Watson has since taken a calculated step back from acting to continue her education and challenge herself. After they return from the French Riviera, Watson and Akkad catch up to discuss the exploration of creativity and having the courage to leave something behind.