Thursday, April 21, 2011

Hoping to "Travel" Back to Paris With Movie

While in Paris last summer, my family and I tried our best to attempt the language and assimilate to the cultural practices. This meant that my usual "early bird special" dinner time had to be pushed back until 9 or 10 p.m. So late! During one of our late dinners after a day trip to Normandy, we noticed a lot of commotion on the street. The entire street was being closed off, many people were walking around and large lights were being set up to illuminate the street. During our dinner more and more people began forming a crowd in the area. We started investigating what was going on, and to our surprise, we found out that Woody Allen was shooting a movie steps from where we were eating salad with goat cheese!


The film is titled “Midnight in Paris,” and stars Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard and Carla Bruni, to name a few. The movie will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and to the general public the same day. According to an article from the Cannes Film Festival’s website, “’Midnight in Paris is a wonderful love letter to Paris,’ declared Festival director Thierry Frémaux. ‘It’s a film in which Woody Allen takes a deeper look at the issues raised in his last films: our relationship with history, art, pleasure and life. His 41st feature reveals once again his inspiration.'"

To me, Paris is the epitome of a city full of history, art, pleasure and life. As a true lover of learning, I take advantage of any opportunity to learn (even when on vacation!) One of my favorite activities in Paris was participating in a walking tour of the Latin Quarter. I loved hearing the stories (both old and new) of the streets I had been casually walking for days. Hearing these things from a native Parisian made them that much more intriguing because she was able to answer our questions and point out things that a guide book would have skipped.

I know that “Midnight in Paris” will remind me of all the fun and culturally-enriching experiences I had during my time in Paris – eating pastries, absorbing views of the beautiful architecture and gaining an appreciation for its rich history by visiting churches, museums and monuments. I am so excited to be transported back (even if only for two hours)!

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