Whenever my wife and I dine out, Linda usually orders a dessert while I do not. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. So, after my wife orders Creme Brulee or Apple Roulade, the waiter will ask, “and for you, monsieur?” or in America, “and for you, big daddy?”
The French New Wave movement in cinema (Nouvelle Vague en francaise) began in the late 1950’s and the tenets of Nouvelle Vague continue to be seen in French films today.
Notable features of this movement include:
While I have a genuine appreciation for Nouvelle Vague, I also appreciate a film like Pixar’s “Ratatouille” (2007), which not only sold beaucoup movie theater tickets, but also beaucoup toys. (I doubt the Jean-Paul Belmondo action figure ever made more than few francs – even with the optional toy cigarette that produces real smoke!)
On our final night in Paris, we crashed this groovy garden party in Saint Germaine. These guys followed this killer song (“La, la, la,la, la, da la, lah”) with Iggy’s “I Wanna Be Your Dog.”
La, la, la,la, la, Da la, lah!
Wait! Doesn’t this remind you of another great “la, la” song?
Every time I look down on this timeless town
Whether blue or gray be her skies.
Whether loud be her cheers or soft be her tears,
More and more do I realize …
“Manhã de Carnaval,” the lovely theme song from the classic 1960 film “Black Orpheus,” seemed to follow us around France for three weeks, first hearing it played from a saxophone echoing through a busy Paris Metro station, and later sung beautifully by Vakia Stavrou at an outdoor concert we found in Uzes, and finally sailing through the open air of the Avignon train station, as we began our journey home (the Avignon station features a piano that travelers can play while waiting for a train – good idea, non?)
Ms. Stavrou’s concert began with “Manhã de Carnaval,” but she added chansons in French, Greek, Portuguese fados, and a few jazz standards sung in English. Singing under a tree in an open field, if she was concerned about the wild electrical storm in the sky above, she never showed it. The flashes of lightning through blue-slate sky over Uzes, made it all feel like being in Maxfield Parish’s “Daybreak.”
“Manhã de Carnaval” isn’t French in origin, but a Brazilian bossa nova written by Luis Bonfa. The film “Black Orpheus” was directed by Paris’ Marcel Camus, who won the Academy Award in 1960 for Best Foreign Film.
The upper video clip is from the film with subtitles. Below is a great cover by Paul Desmond, who played sax with Dave Brubeck. Earlier in the week, we stayed at a villa owned by Brubeck’s son.
Imagine that!
by Linda Steves
One afternoon while lost in Paris, we stumbled upon a beautiful arcade full of little shops, including a small cafe that featured fine charcuterie and fromages. We had the most delicious meal composed of wonderful regional ingredients, simply prepared. I talked to our waiter about how much more flavorful the cheeses in France are. I mentioned that most cheeses in the U.S. are pasteurized, and wondered if that “killed” the flavor. He adamantly agreed and replied “yes! Formage is a living thing!”
My appreciation for fromage has reached a new level!
