Coco Avant Karl

I just returned from the cinema where I was watching "Coco Avant Chanel". As always when you return from cinema you reflect the subject. Just a few thoughts I would like to note down before going to bed...Obviously, Gabrielle Chanel's life was complete but sad. For me it is nearly unbelievable how Karl Lagerfeld's life could be so similar. He is also incredibly successful with what he does, which makes him dependend on his work which again makes his live complete in a way. But...and that is a sad fact, he must also be very lonely after the loss of the love of his life. Like Gabrielle Chanel, he was never seen with someone who is close to him (apart from many friends and admirer).

I wonder if, after Karl, the "Chanel curse" will stop here.

What Is It This ...?

Yesterday after my exams I had a little celebration with my dearest female friends in Germany. We sat together in the perfect restaurant, with a perfect three-course-dinner, the perfect Pinot-Noir and a simple, stupid but nevertheless important enaught to discuss topic: Germany's Next Topmodel. As the three of us are very and I mean really very different there were also three different opinions on this topic. I personally have such a feeling of dislike for Mrs. Heidi Klum Marketing Product, that I cannot even express it with words. There is so much superficialty and frugalness based on this person, that I cringe when I see her.

But this is not the worst...therefore I need to release myself from the following words:



Dearest Heidi Klum,


We all know that your so called model career is over since years. It was never a real model career anyway, apart from Victoria's Secret. You were one of the less talented and most successful models that ever existed. I assume John Casablancas told you already.


Now that your so called career is over you are searching for a worthy successor. This is not an easy thing to do especially when she needs to outplay you with tastelessness. The first finalists seemed to be unable to take your place. I agree.


The third season shows now a new face which could be the new "Heidi", a girl called Gina-Lisa or Lisa-Gina. A girl who won Miss-Contests, a girl who is a permanent solarium, a girl who is primitive, a girl who is stupid superficial, ugly and exhausted at an early age. She must be even more exhausted as you are. Nevertheless you live the American Dream with a perfect house in the Hollywood Hills, the perfect husband some other material things. Don't worry Heidi, germans are still proud of you. And to be honest, why should't they? You can even can sell your husband. Some people marry a family and you sell yours. But that's fine in terms of completeness of the picture.

When I saw the photos and especially the video of the "Gina-Miss" I thought, that's her! She is Germany's next topmodel. Who else could represent culture, trends and Heidi better then her. People work 8-12 hours a day why should they listen to qualified TV entertainment? Gina's jokes about her butt are perfect and a running gag in fuddy-duddy offices. She is everything Germany needed. We never had a Katie Price and we never had a Pamela Anderson, but we will have Gina now.

Thanks for that Heidi. Make her your successor. She is worth it!



Sincerely,

Kat

Claude Chabrol "La Fille Coupée En Deux"

Living in Paris as a german girl means also learning to understand french society. When Claude Chabrol's "La Fille Coupée En Deux" started running at cinema La Pagode just across the street from my apartment, I thaught it would be a good chance to enhance my knowlege on french cinema.

La Fille coupé en deux deals with the life and tragedy of a innocent lyonaise girl who fells madly in love with a popular 20-year older writer who uses her to assuage his phantasies. After having used her as a pawn in his sleeky game he throws the love she has for him away without any hesitation or scruples.

In parallel the rich son of a lyonaise fabric owner sees her and starts to long axiously for her love. From the beginning of his presence he gives the impression of a completely disoriented, poor and vunerable person who has no glue what life is all about and will probably never have. At the end of the film, the big tragedy arrives and La Fille gets lost between two worlds of this men consisting on one site of luxery and comfort, but, what is even more prevailing, cruelness and inhumanity.

Being braught up in decent but protectful and loving environment the observer can be sure that she will have the strengh to find herself again.

If one is interested in sociology and social structures the film should provide a nice view on the upper class of Lyon (of which someone told me that it should be worse than in Paris if you are not born there).
So when the cinema enlightened again and I saw the golden paintings of the pompous show room I thaugth to myself that I can be happy having grown up in a more equal society and now enjoying les belles choses de la vie francaise as 27 year old femme who lives, loves and works in the capital.

Picture of the beautyful little garden of the Cinema "La Pagode". Doesn't things like that just exist in Paris?

Ulrich Muehe

This is post dedicated to the german actor Ulrich Muehe who died of stomach cancer on Sunday (22nd July 2007). He was only 54 years old and I am deeply touched about this because he was one of my favorite german artists who made me proud to be german. Internationally, he was well-known for the film "Das Leben der Anderen" ("La vie des autres") for which he received the Best Actor Award at the 2006 European Film Awards and which is still shown in parisien cinemas. His TV Series "Der letze Zeuge" ("Le dernier termoin"), also received various awards (Telestar and Deutscher Fernsehpreis) and is currently shown on ARTE TV every Monday at 20:40.

Films I like…Paris, je t'aime

Rainy Sunday afternoon…do you have any better idea than going to a charming old cinema with big candelabra and fresh popcorn?
Yesterday I watched the Film "Paris, je t'aime" as I kind of pleasant anticipation what will be avaiting me in 3 weeks….yes it is only three weeks left and we have neither a flat nor organized the relocation. Crazy but true. I tend to feel very uncomfortable from time to time but being a very impatient person I try to take this as challenge to therapy myself. If I go through all the worst case scenarios I now decided to tell myself "never think that far ahead!". Maybe this is the solution. But now coming back to the film...the original subject of this post.

Apart from my personal situation it was a wonderful film. It deals with the city "Paris" as main character in the foreground being divided in it's arrondissements and the destinys of different characters living or visiting Paris who try to get along with their personal situations. The film has the following construct: Paris, Je T’aime sets out to showcase the universality of Paris by allowing 21 directors from around the world to construct their own short films inspired by the city. No rules were established; the only criterion was that the films had to be set in Paris. The concept was set up by Emanuelle Benhiby and many famous directors and actors contributed.


Paris, je t'aime is dealing with the following urban districts:

1. Montmartre - written and directed by Bruno Podalydès


2. Quais de Seine - co-writtenn by Paul Mayeda Berges et réalisé par Gurinder Chadha

Love it because ... it is good to see that there are men who are able to see real beauty...

3. Le Marais - written and directed by Gus Van Sant

4. Tuileries - written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen

Love it because...it made me laugh.

5. Loin du 16e - written and directed by Walter Salles and Daniela Thomas

6. Porte de Choisy - co-written by Gabrielle Keng and Kathy Li and directed by Christopher Doyle

7. Bastille - written and directed by Isabel Coixet

8. Place des Victoires - written and directed by Nobuhiro Suwa

9. Tour Eiffel - written and directed by Sylvain Chomet

10. Parc Monceau - written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón

11. Quartier des Enfants Rouges - written and directed by Olivier Assayas

Love it because ... it shows how love could change from time to time.

12. Place des fêtes - written and directed by Oliver Schmitz

Love it because ... it shows how unfair destiny is most of time.

13. Pigalle - written and directed by Richard LaGravenese

14. Quartier de la Madeleine - written and directed by Vincenzo Natali

15. Père-Lachaise - written and directed by Wes Craven

Love it because ... he reminds my of my boyfriend and she reminds me of myself.

16. Faubourg Saint-Denis - written and directed by Tom Tykwer

17. Quartier Latin - written by Gena Rowlands, directed by Gérard Depardieu and Frédéric Auburtin

18. 14e arrondissement - written and directed by Alexander Payne

The film was first shown at the Cannes Festival in 2006. Actors who contributed include Fanny Ardant, Juliette Binoche, Steve Buscemi, Willem Dafoe, Gérard Depardieu, Marianne Faithfull, Ben Gazzara, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Bob Hoskins, Olga Kurylenko, Aïssa Maïga, Emily Mortimer, Nick Nolte, Natalie Portman, Miranda Richardson, Gena Rowlands, Ludivine Sagnier, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Rufus Sewell, Leonor Watling, Elijah Wood and others.

My mood was changing during the whole film. It went from sad to happy to affected to funny. I don't want to comment on any of the scenes. I would recommend to watch the film and build your own opinion on it. I included film photos of my favorite scenes. I hope to say one day as well "Paris, je t'aime"...