25 November 2009
30 October 2009
Berry Movies: The Films
Back from Cinéma Lux in La Châtre and Berry Movies!
Here is a list with the competing films:
Nouveau monde, directed by Hervé André from Sauvigny-les-Bois
(Des êtres étranges, un langage incompréhensible, des expériences inquiétantes, ici tout est bizarre...);
Bric à brac, produced by a group from L'Ecole Méliès in Orly
(Rencontre et cycle de vie, le temps d'une musique, de deux personnages faits d'éléments de récupération);
Alleluia, produced by the group 61 du Cygne from Clichy
("La religion est née le jour où le premier hypocrite a rencontré le premier imbécile", Voltaire);
Wesh, directed by Vivien Loiseau from Paris
(Ce soir, Jérémy a été invité à un dîner romantique par une charmante jeune femme. C'est normal, il a tout pour plaire: beau, jeune, intelligent... Entre deux rendez-vous amoureux, il sauve même le monde. Pourtant quelque chose cloche...)
Love and Pets, produced by Videotrack from Poitiers
(Clip musical)
Bob et Joséphine, directed by Liam Engle from Paris
(Bob veut séduire Joséphine. Mais son plus gros obstacle est peut-être...lui-même.)
En premier, directed by Jon Smith from Bordeaux
(Clip musical)
Le vent en poupe, produced by La boîte à Fizz from La Châtre
(Une équipe TV suit le quotidien de Fabrice Poupe, maire de Pont-au-Julot /réputée pour sa production de chaussettes/ en lice pour les futures élections municipales)
Mets-toi à l'aise, directed by Joli Rôle from Trans-sur-Erdre
(Journée ordinaire, pense Ghislain en quittant la maison. Au bureau, l'accueil n'a rien d'enthousiasmant, rien ne va. Et pourtant aujourd'hui c'est son anniversaire, il a 35 ans)
Lecture, stop, on rembobine, etc. directed by Sarah Wagner from Paris
(Au moment de la pause, dans le réfectoire d'une usine, quatre ouvriers aux habitudes très différentes tentent de cohabiter...)
Il était une fois la crise, directed by Matthieu Le Texier from Nohant-Vicq
(Dans une région touchée par la crise, la lutte pour l'emploi fait rage. Un affrontement sans merci se prépare. Cinq cow boys pour une offre d'emploi...)
L'avant-dernier repas, directed by Julien Lefer from Angers
(Suite à une catastrophe planétaire, un survivant erre depuis des années se nourrissant de sales bestioles. Un jour, au milieu de nul part, il découvre un frigo qui fonctionne...).
"And the winner is...."
Nouveau Monde!
The idea to this film was quite original and it was carried out in a very entertaining and thought-provoking way.
The film opens with blurry pictures and a somewhat blueish colour and all of a sudden we see people surronding something or someone.
This someone is a baby (a couple of months old or more?) registering everything around him. What he thinks about his parents, the family, their friends, being looked at, hugged, caressed and played with, is made clear by a voice-over.
This was quite amusing, displaying all the idiotic things we do with children and how this - possibly - could be perceived if children at that age had the possibility to speak out and analyzing events around them. Maybe they can?
This was one of my two favourite films.
Another favourite was Bric à brac (animation).
As this word is used in English too as another word for trinkets, I only have to say that the story circles around two figures made out of recycled things. They are part of different items in a antiquity store and they both - in different ways - wants attention. One is playing music and all of a sudden a fight or a contest emerges.
It gets so animated that one of them almost falls from a table. At that point the other figure tries to rescue his opponent (see for yourself below, if you feel like it)
This was technically perhaps the most complicated film to make and the story was well composed.
This my favourite came in fourth place in the competition.
Another four films were rewarded and those were:
2. Le vent en poupe
3. Il était une fois la crise
4. Bric à brac (see above)
5. Wesh
6. Lecture, stop, on rembobine, etc.
Some pictures from this evening at Cinéma Lux:
These are the two berrichons in charge, Florent Choffel and Etienne Sautereau
This is the sheep in charge:
...and some of the laureates:
Here is a list with the competing films:
Nouveau monde, directed by Hervé André from Sauvigny-les-Bois
(Des êtres étranges, un langage incompréhensible, des expériences inquiétantes, ici tout est bizarre...);
Bric à brac, produced by a group from L'Ecole Méliès in Orly
(Rencontre et cycle de vie, le temps d'une musique, de deux personnages faits d'éléments de récupération);
Alleluia, produced by the group 61 du Cygne from Clichy
("La religion est née le jour où le premier hypocrite a rencontré le premier imbécile", Voltaire);
Wesh, directed by Vivien Loiseau from Paris
(Ce soir, Jérémy a été invité à un dîner romantique par une charmante jeune femme. C'est normal, il a tout pour plaire: beau, jeune, intelligent... Entre deux rendez-vous amoureux, il sauve même le monde. Pourtant quelque chose cloche...)
Love and Pets, produced by Videotrack from Poitiers
(Clip musical)
Bob et Joséphine, directed by Liam Engle from Paris
(Bob veut séduire Joséphine. Mais son plus gros obstacle est peut-être...lui-même.)
En premier, directed by Jon Smith from Bordeaux
(Clip musical)
Le vent en poupe, produced by La boîte à Fizz from La Châtre
(Une équipe TV suit le quotidien de Fabrice Poupe, maire de Pont-au-Julot /réputée pour sa production de chaussettes/ en lice pour les futures élections municipales)
Mets-toi à l'aise, directed by Joli Rôle from Trans-sur-Erdre
(Journée ordinaire, pense Ghislain en quittant la maison. Au bureau, l'accueil n'a rien d'enthousiasmant, rien ne va. Et pourtant aujourd'hui c'est son anniversaire, il a 35 ans)
Lecture, stop, on rembobine, etc. directed by Sarah Wagner from Paris
(Au moment de la pause, dans le réfectoire d'une usine, quatre ouvriers aux habitudes très différentes tentent de cohabiter...)
Il était une fois la crise, directed by Matthieu Le Texier from Nohant-Vicq
(Dans une région touchée par la crise, la lutte pour l'emploi fait rage. Un affrontement sans merci se prépare. Cinq cow boys pour une offre d'emploi...)
L'avant-dernier repas, directed by Julien Lefer from Angers
(Suite à une catastrophe planétaire, un survivant erre depuis des années se nourrissant de sales bestioles. Un jour, au milieu de nul part, il découvre un frigo qui fonctionne...).
"And the winner is...."
Nouveau Monde!
The idea to this film was quite original and it was carried out in a very entertaining and thought-provoking way.
The film opens with blurry pictures and a somewhat blueish colour and all of a sudden we see people surronding something or someone.
This someone is a baby (a couple of months old or more?) registering everything around him. What he thinks about his parents, the family, their friends, being looked at, hugged, caressed and played with, is made clear by a voice-over.
This was quite amusing, displaying all the idiotic things we do with children and how this - possibly - could be perceived if children at that age had the possibility to speak out and analyzing events around them. Maybe they can?
This was one of my two favourite films.
Another favourite was Bric à brac (animation).
As this word is used in English too as another word for trinkets, I only have to say that the story circles around two figures made out of recycled things. They are part of different items in a antiquity store and they both - in different ways - wants attention. One is playing music and all of a sudden a fight or a contest emerges.
It gets so animated that one of them almost falls from a table. At that point the other figure tries to rescue his opponent (see for yourself below, if you feel like it)
This was technically perhaps the most complicated film to make and the story was well composed.
This my favourite came in fourth place in the competition.
Another four films were rewarded and those were:
2. Le vent en poupe
3. Il était une fois la crise
4. Bric à brac (see above)
5. Wesh
6. Lecture, stop, on rembobine, etc.
Some pictures from this evening at Cinéma Lux:
These are the two berrichons in charge, Florent Choffel and Etienne Sautereau
This is the sheep in charge:
...and some of the laureates:
Berry Movies
Tonight the Short Film Festival in La Châtre - Berry Movies - is inaugurated!
This is a short film festival open for each and everyone! Those who want to participate don't have to be 'berrichons' as the locals call themselves and not even French.
This is the third time this festival is arranged and the organizers are working on a volontary basis but they do however get some financial support from the town and the region!
The winged sheep of Berry Movies - Le Mouton ailé
- is their 'trademark'.
Two of many engaged in this film festival are Florent Choffel and Etienne Sautereau, former school mates to Aurore.
The jury were reunited on the 26th of September and they selected the 12 short films we are going to see tonight!
This is a short film festival open for each and everyone! Those who want to participate don't have to be 'berrichons' as the locals call themselves and not even French.
This is the third time this festival is arranged and the organizers are working on a volontary basis but they do however get some financial support from the town and the region!
The winged sheep of Berry Movies - Le Mouton ailé
- is their 'trademark'.
Two of many engaged in this film festival are Florent Choffel and Etienne Sautereau, former school mates to Aurore.
The jury were reunited on the 26th of September and they selected the 12 short films we are going to see tonight!
11 October 2009
Foire aux potirons Tranzault Indre 2009
This is called the fair of the potirons and a potirion is - in latin - Cucurbita Maxima, a sort of squash. This is an event displaying all kinds of vegetables you can find in a garden on the countryside: Pumpkins, lagenaria vulgaris - which is a sort of Cucurbitaceae belonging to the squash family with among others the Calabash - parsnips and much more.
People from different farms in Berry sold their garden products but we were also given the possibility to eat and drink, not least products made from all these varieties of vegetables.
We had the chance to watch an exhibition displaying how these vegetables could be used if not eating them!
Welcome:
This is the wonderful orchestra playing music sounding like a mixture of traditional Keltic or French country music and klezmer and they wandered around playing, walking in circles, stopping, dancing and making everyone quite happy!
'Nature-' or 'feuilles mortes'.
A plentitude of beautifully arranged vegetables! It's only to carry it home.
These pumpkins are displayed before weighing them in order to decide which one is the heaviest. The winner weighed 468 kilos!
The record in France is however 553 kg and a female cultivator in Ohio, USA, holds the world record of 783 kg! , An article in La Nouvelle République.
This is the exhibition hall and below you can see puppets and marionettes made from the vegetables! Fantastically imaginative!
If you need a bed room lamp, a vase or any other decoration, you can find it here.
Talking about decoration: These birds and flowers make a beautiful substitute for the real ones! The man making them told us that it's very hard to 'sculpture' these vegetables, no doubt!
Finally we were demonstrated that music can be performed using any kind of tools, like in this case cucumbers or pumpkins...
...and this is the man responsible for these beautiful pieces of art, demonstrating that it's actually possible to play melodies!
His name is:
Patrick Chauvet
People from different farms in Berry sold their garden products but we were also given the possibility to eat and drink, not least products made from all these varieties of vegetables.
We had the chance to watch an exhibition displaying how these vegetables could be used if not eating them!
Welcome:
This is the wonderful orchestra playing music sounding like a mixture of traditional Keltic or French country music and klezmer and they wandered around playing, walking in circles, stopping, dancing and making everyone quite happy!
'Nature-' or 'feuilles mortes'.
A plentitude of beautifully arranged vegetables! It's only to carry it home.
These pumpkins are displayed before weighing them in order to decide which one is the heaviest. The winner weighed 468 kilos!
The record in France is however 553 kg and a female cultivator in Ohio, USA, holds the world record of 783 kg! , An article in La Nouvelle République.
This is the exhibition hall and below you can see puppets and marionettes made from the vegetables! Fantastically imaginative!
If you need a bed room lamp, a vase or any other decoration, you can find it here.
Talking about decoration: These birds and flowers make a beautiful substitute for the real ones! The man making them told us that it's very hard to 'sculpture' these vegetables, no doubt!
Finally we were demonstrated that music can be performed using any kind of tools, like in this case cucumbers or pumpkins...
...and this is the man responsible for these beautiful pieces of art, demonstrating that it's actually possible to play melodies!
His name is:Patrick Chauvet
04 October 2009
...Château de Valençay
After our visit to Levroux we continued to Château de Valençay, a castle with a long and interesting history, dating back to 10th Century.
Already in the third and fourth century however, a villa was built at the site.
The first person who is said to have erected a castle-like building on the grounds, was Gautiher, seigneur de Valençay and this was at the end of the 10th century.
In those days the grounds covered 20 000 hectares!
Among many proprietors we find Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, regarded as one of the foremost diplomates in European history, born in 1754.
He first became a clergyman after studies in theology but after a political career, he became 'Président de l'Assemblée' in 1790.
Later on - as noted above - he became the most influential diplomate under the rule of Napoléon I, given the name 'the Prince of Diplomates' and the 'foreign minister' of France under the dictator.
In 1803 he became the proprietor of this castle, ordered to buy it by Napoléon who wanted him to live in a 'respectable' way.
This is the castle from one of the sides and in front of the castle we see a multitude of flowers growing rather 'wild', though not uncultivated.
In other parts of the garden we found trees, bushes and flowers made into sculptural forms.
This is the castle from the back side....
...and this is the wine cellar of course.
Help! I want to get out!
I don't. It's cool here.
The first person who is said to have erected a castle-like building on the grounds, was Gautiher, seigneur de Valençay and this was at the end of the 10th century.
In those days the grounds covered 20 000 hectares!
Among many proprietors we find Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, regarded as one of the foremost diplomates in European history, born in 1754.
He first became a clergyman after studies in theology but after a political career, he became 'Président de l'Assemblée' in 1790.
Later on - as noted above - he became the most influential diplomate under the rule of Napoléon I, given the name 'the Prince of Diplomates' and the 'foreign minister' of France under the dictator.
In 1803 he became the proprietor of this castle, ordered to buy it by Napoléon who wanted him to live in a 'respectable' way.
This is the castle from one of the sides and in front of the castle we see a multitude of flowers growing rather 'wild', though not uncultivated.
In other parts of the garden we found trees, bushes and flowers made into sculptural forms.
This is the castle from the back side....
...and this is the wine cellar of course.
Help! I want to get out!
I don't. It's cool here.
Levroux...
This day we spent visiting Levroux and Château de Valençay!
We began with Levroux, a charming medieval town with around 3000 inhabitants.
It's the central town in this canton and resides over 12 other towns in the area.
As in many small (medieval) towns in France, you will find a lot of interesting sites and a history dating back to medieval or pre-medieval times. This is the case with Levroux and of course the castle Valençay.
This sculpture is called The sleeping shepherd or in French Le Berger Couché and the sculptor is Ernest Nivet, a former student to Auguste Rodin:
This is the church La Collegiale Saint Sylvain:
This is one of the 'gates' or towers formerly protecting the city and through which people had to pass to get in to the city, called Porte de Champagne:
This is Maison de Bois, a Gothic building that serves as a halt for the pilgrims heading towards Santiago de Compostela (Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle):
Two heads in the church wall....
...and now we close the door to this town!
We began with Levroux, a charming medieval town with around 3000 inhabitants.
It's the central town in this canton and resides over 12 other towns in the area.
As in many small (medieval) towns in France, you will find a lot of interesting sites and a history dating back to medieval or pre-medieval times. This is the case with Levroux and of course the castle Valençay.
This sculpture is called The sleeping shepherd or in French Le Berger Couché and the sculptor is Ernest Nivet, a former student to Auguste Rodin:
This is the church La Collegiale Saint Sylvain:
This is one of the 'gates' or towers formerly protecting the city and through which people had to pass to get in to the city, called Porte de Champagne:
This is Maison de Bois, a Gothic building that serves as a halt for the pilgrims heading towards Santiago de Compostela (Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle):
Two heads in the church wall....
...and now we close the door to this town!
27 September 2009
L'Abbaye de Déols
After we had dined with the huntsmen (chasseurs) and after a round trip in Chateauroux, we visited Déols and specifically the remains of the abbey - L'Abbaye de Déols - its history dating back to 9th century!
We met with some acquaintances to my mother-in-law and my wife, teachers who invited us to look at their house interiorally, formerly bing a part of the abbey. A very charming house with a magnificent garden.
A wonderful day with the sun shining warmly and nicely towards us the whole day!
C'est la vie!
We met with some acquaintances to my mother-in-law and my wife, teachers who invited us to look at their house interiorally, formerly bing a part of the abbey. A very charming house with a magnificent garden.
A wonderful day with the sun shining warmly and nicely towards us the whole day!
C'est la vie!
20 September 2009
Journées européennes du patrimoine 2009
During The European days of patrimony/Journées européenne du patrimoine (19-20/9) we visited Abbaye de Varennes (Saturday) with its magnificent buildings, the former convent and the chapel.
Met with the proprietor and also the American artist who - together with her husband - live and work in the mansion.
This house and chapel is otherwise not open to the public.
On Sunday we visited the well known Château de Bouges with, among other things, a fantastic 80 hectare park!
When arriving they closed for lunch (La France! Oh la la!).
Meanwhile we visited the auberge close to the castle, ate good and went back to the château for a guided tour. After this we went strolling in the magnificent park with its multitude of trees and verdure.
We also visited their garden/plantation with different kinds of flowers, magnificently arranged.
They also had an exhibition with wagons/coaches and gigs. Interesting.
A wonderful day!
Take a look:
For more and other photos, take a look at my blog.
This house and chapel is otherwise not open to the public.
On Sunday we visited the well known Château de Bouges with, among other things, a fantastic 80 hectare park!
When arriving they closed for lunch (La France! Oh la la!).
Meanwhile we visited the auberge close to the castle, ate good and went back to the château for a guided tour. After this we went strolling in the magnificent park with its multitude of trees and verdure.
We also visited their garden/plantation with different kinds of flowers, magnificently arranged.
They also had an exhibition with wagons/coaches and gigs. Interesting.
A wonderful day!
Take a look:
For more and other photos, take a look at my blog.
11 September 2009
An afternoon in St-Benoît-du-Sault
When I was a child, I visited St-Benoît-du-Sault with my class. It made such a strong impression on me that when I stood in front of the church today, I could exactly recall how it was to be there more than 20 years ago.
The medieval village, with its 700 inhabitants, is picturesque.
If you want to see more of it and cannot travel, watch the French film Wyvern.
10 September 2009
Les Jardins du Prieuré Notre-Dame d'Orsan
25 km from La Châtre, we enjoyed an afternoon in a Les Jardins du Prieuré Notre-Dame d'Orsan, wich was achieved at the beginning of the XIIth century.
We liked this discovery a lot!
We liked this discovery a lot!
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