Last night, «La nuit des Césars» took place, the annual French Film Awards Ceremony was opened by Marion Cotillard (Oscar for Best Actress for « La Môme », 2009).

Unsurprisingly, the excellent « A Prophet » won almost all categories ( 9 Césars in total) Best Film, Best director (Jacques Audiard), Best script, Best editing…and an exceptional first in French cinema history : Both Best Newcomer and Best Actor awards went to debutant Tahar Rahim for his performance as a prisoner.

Fortunately there was not an actress nominated for « The Prophet », otherwise Isabelle Adjani wouldn’t have received her fifth César for « la Journée de la Jupe ». This French icon was yesterday back in the limelight after a long retreat.

I was glad « Le concert », a compelling feature about a fake Bolchoï orchestra who leave Russia for a performance in Paris won Best Music and Best sound.

Worthy of note, Harrison Ford received a Special Award for his career from the hands of Sigourney Weaver who speaks perfect French.

« Gran Torino » was prefered to « Avatar », and received the Best Foreign Film award. Clint Eastwood’s son thanked the Academy in the tongue of Molière.

Trailer for A Prophet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiZSIQwNk3k

It’s time for Chocolate ! Between Valentines day and Easter, I will introduce you to a bit of Chocolate History and some of the best places for chocolate in Paris.

Chocolate and France have been having a love story for a long time. The aristocracy particularly prised it because it was exclusive, pricey and it had numerous virtues, including aphrodisiac ones. Chocolate was introduced in France in 1615 by Queen Anne of Austria, the Spanish Queen who married French King Louis XIII.

Marie Therese d’Autriche, wife of The Sun King Louis XIV, said she had two passions in life : The King and Chocolate. At Versailles, cocoa became extremely fashionable and was served three days a week in the Salons of the palace, a luxurious habit at the time.

The Marquise de Sévigné, a literary icon from the 17th century, was a big fan of chocolate, using it as a remedy when feeling unwell. She gave her name to a chocolate bonbons label.

Nowadays, Chocolat making is still considered an Art, using the best organic products. When you are in Paris, do try to taste the delicacies at these addresses, among the top chocolatiers in town:

Patrick Roger
He was elected « Best Chocolate maker in Paris » in 2007. He’s now part of the very exclusive circle of cocoa Artists and creates beautiful chocolate sculptures.

108 boulevard Saint-Germain, 75006 Paris
Tel : 01 43 29 38 42
Website : www.patrickroger.com

He also has a second address, 45 Avenue Victor Hugo, 75016 Paris.

Pierre Hermé
The chef patissier is a real star in Paris. His chocolate sculptures are real artworks inspired by the homelands of cocoa, precolombian statues and african masks. Go for « Art Premier » chocolates bonbons, filled ganaches and pralines. ( 32 euros the selection).

185 rue Vaugirard, 75015 Paris
Tel : 01 47 83 89 96
Website : www.pierreherme.com

La Maison du Chocolat
Unmissable place signing a new collection every year, like for Haute Couture.
I like their creations for Valentine’s day, a single chocolate presented like a gem in a designer box made of chocolate.

120 avenue Victor Hugo - 75016 Paris
Tel : 01 40 67 77 84
Website : www.lamaisonduchocolat.com

Have you ever heard of Serge Gainsbourg ? The man with the cabbage head, as he would call himself ? The greatest dandy and songwriter from the second half of the XXth century is brought back to life in this biopic film.The legend of Serge, real name Lucien Ginsburg, is portrayed between women (Brigitte Bardot, Jane Birkin and Juliette Gréco to name a few), alcoohol, scandals and songs by comic books writer and director Joann Sfar. Starring Eric Elmosnino as Gainsbourg and Laetitia Casta as Brigitte Bardot, choosing our national top model to play the Sex Symbol of the 60s is an interesting choice. A nice way to revisit hit songs like «Je t’aime, moi non plus», «Initials B.B.»… In the BBC series episode III, «Paris», Jane Birkin tells me about the making of the song «Je t’aime moi non plus». A good laugh.

The title is well deserved: this Arts event is Monumental. For three years now, one artist every year is invited to create an Arts installation at the scale of the glass dome of The Grand Palais.

I was happy with this year’s choice, a “tour de force”, your whole being is involved. Boltanski overtook the space and offered a poignant scene under the imposing glass dome. Experiencing the installation in a cold winter night is even more striking.

As you pass a wall made of small rusty containers, a vast field of neatly arranged square sections of clothes lay on the floor. Low neon lights produce a cold glow over the relics. As you walk among the avenues of clothes, the loud beat of pumping hearts invades the space. It’s as if souls have left their corpses, their clothes still resting on the floor.

Dominating the field, a huge pyramid also made of clothes stands in the background. A crane above the pile descends, clutches some pieces, lifts them up and then releases its grip so the clothes fall back on the pile. Its overwhelming presence could only make me think of a blind hand picking people randomly and throwing them back. Not a sweet image, but a powerful stage.

Boltanski works with absence and memory but I’m impressed by his evocative force ; so many pictures come to mind. Mass murder. Ethnic cleansing. Memory and anonymity. Death and life.

Visitors were invited to record their heart beats for a second installation on an island in Japan. I left my heart there to make it beat in Japan for ever…

Download Lonely Planet Magazine December 09 article

(3.5Mb .pdf)

Download The Independent article, 23 June 2007

(576Kb .pdf)

Download The French Paper article, November 2009

(220kb .pdf)

For those who haven’t come across it before,  Delpire is one of France’s most celebrated book publishers.

They are particularly well known for their lavish Photography books and beautifully crafted children’s illustrated books.

Their publications have covered all major photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson,  Marc Riboud, William Klein, Josef Koudelka, Sebastiao Salgado, and so on, the list is endless.

You will find many of their original photos on show at the  ”Maison Europeéne de la photographie”, along with copies of the books they were featured in.

Also featured are many children’s books you might recognize, such as Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are”, as well as many other charming illustrator’s work in both their original artboards and finished book form.

There are also some film screenings, including a documentary about Muhammad Ali and cult fashion film “Who are you Polly Maggoo” by William Klein. Quintessential 60s pop.

Certainly worth a visit if you’re in Paris, it’s on until 24 January 2010.

Delpire et Cie. at the “Maison Europeéne de la photographie”

5 / 7 Rue de Fourcy

75004 Paris

If you hate dance music, please look away now. Techtonik is the latest craze on the French Capital’s streets and nightclubs, an energetic dance style born out of South-eastern Paris clubland Metropolis. The music is a mix of techno/electro/hiphop, and the clothing is probably familiar to both old and nu-ravers, but it’s those moves that make Techtonik special. The trend has been spreading fast on the internet, with countless videos shot on mobile phones or webcams being posted daily on youtube and dailymotion.

There are several places where you can find people dancing techtonik on the streets, they often coincide with skateboard or rollerblading spots, try around Centre Pompidou, Palais de Tokyo or the Trocadero. While the music itself is not to everyone’s taste, the great thing about Techtonik is its ability to bring together kids from very different backgrounds, from the deprived suburbs to the bourgeois of west Paris,  a healthy mix of influences has blended and something new has emerged. Wether it will last is another matter, in any case the kids are too busy having fun to ponder.