Le Cinema à Paris

At the moment, I'm in that stage where I'm feeling very nostalgic about this place they called The City of Light. By the way, it is originally called city of light not because there is many lights that brightens up this city, although that is also very true, but it started as a city with many poets, writers, artists, philosophers etc that it was nicknamed the city with many smart people, hence where the word light appears. Anyway, back to feeling nostalgic, probably the mood that best describe me at the moment is très relaxé, I don't make a strict plan-ahead schedule I usually made up in my head at the start of the day anymore. If I want to catch a movie, I'll go and see one in the many cinemas around around the Latin quartier, hidden in tiny little rooms where you would probably will not recognise it as a cinema without looking up the address first in the Internet. Little neon lights, an empty booth, the light is usually switch off and there are hardly a living soul in le salle. But so far, I've had great experiences!

Paris Je T'aime, is a great movie, recommended by a cousin who lived in London, who lived in Sydney and came from Indonesia. I think this film represent not just the idea about Paris, but about different culture mixing together and for a foreigner coming to Paris or to another foreign land, there is a lot to absorb and this film transcends all ethnicity and background, that no matter if you're Chinese, Americans, English, Arabs or Japanese, I think everyone can enjoy it, as long as they watch it with the subtitles. It comprises of 17scenes directed by more than 12 directors, each with different actors.

Often I go to a café, read my book for awhile, eat my sandwich and do my french homework in between. I am enjoying my days here very much, although a tiny (or growing increasingly bigger by the day) part of me is always reminding me of future plans, how I can't wait to start a small jersey collections, silky cardigans de soie, soft flowy materials...of my drawings, of watercolours...

A Brazilian friend d'un certain âge, just retired and is definitely enjoying his retiring days of traveling Paris and taking up intensive french class in between with his wife in the other class! bravo! and sat next to me in each class (we all sit at the same table each day, like an automatic habit) so we always partnered up whenever there are conversation role-plays. Anyway...He told me to watch Chéri and said it was very good. So off I went to this tiny little old cinema at Rue Mouffetard today and well well well...what a film. Shock and surprise ending, well that's obvious since it's french, they always leave the audience either feeling bewildered, speechless or just utterly shocked...a film written by one of the most celebrated french writer, Colette, who also wrote the classic GiGi, quelle surprise non? this movie is definitely not for everyone, I liked it but hey I'm a francophile...So beware, I've warned you!

There are over fifty cinemas around the 6eme and 5eme arrondissement of Paris, that starts from the Place St-Germain-des-Pres all the way from Boulevard Saint-Germain, passing Metro Odeon with three cinemas within eyesight just when you reach the top staircase of the metro, then all the hidden ones around the Panthéon, Sorbonne and a handful so small it takes a courage to enter. Good thing for me I live around this area, and I am loving it! An insightful blogger recommended me to watch Villa Amalia with no other than Isabelle Huppert, recently the head judge of Cannes Film Festival and is probably the most celebrated of French cinema second to Catherine Deneuve (who I passed in Melbored end of last year!).

May the cinema force be with you this week! Enjoy a movie or two and don't forget to use a SPF 30 sunblock when you go out to the Sun, don't want to start looking like an orange peel too soon... and I've seen a few around Paris... euh*