YES, I PROMISE. RIGHT NOW THE FACT THAT I SPENT THE DAY OUT ON THE STREETS OF LONDON DOING FLAT STANLEY PHOTOS FOR MY FRIEND’S SON, MEANS I DID NOT WRITE — YET. BUT IT’S ONLY 7 pm in LONDON, SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF HOURS OF WRITING I CAN SQUEEZE IN SO I CAN GO TO SLEEP GUILT FREE.
HAPPY FIRST DAY OF 2012
Right now looking over a grant to do my first translation. It’s a new French play that is on in Paris at the moment. The play by Sébastien Thiéry, “The Beginning of the End,” is a quirky and very funny take on how one man views his wife, and how when we have something we suddenly try to figure out reasons why we don’t want it. So off we go to the French Embassy after the first of the year to see about funding the translation through this special grant. Having never thought that I would ever be asked to do an English translation of a play, I now find myself thinking, why not? Looking for a theatre company in NYC that will take the play on, so looks like a lot to do at the first of the year. Sending best wishes to all for a great year ahead.
Would love to hear everyone’s top five best film pics of the year. We’re just getting caught up on our film viewing.
In Paris for the month of December to work on the translation of my play “Even” for the French stage next season. While here I’m also meeting with my French producer on “The Ambassadors”, the lovely Philippe Caracassonne. We are sending the script to Roman Polanski, so I had to draft a letter to Monsieur Polanski. It is always a challenge to submit material directly to someone you grew up revering. You want to be respectful and express your appreciation of his or her work, without sounding like a sycophant or stalker. I think I achieved this balance, but time will tell. After writing the said letter to Monsieur Polanski, I decided to reward myself by meeting friends for a drink in the 2nd. This is where the day got very interesting as you’ll see below in my “A Tale-Tail of Paris”, featuring myself and Dexter Doodle, the real brains in the organization. Enjoy. A bientot. Janet and Dexter
StartSelection:0000000217 EndSelection:0000002909 Just when you think life is boring…..
Had a run in with a French transit cop — some horrid young woman built like an Amazon at the Etienne Marcel. Dressed for drinks (nice coat, slacks, hat etc. and a poodle in my arms I got off the train and made my way to the exit. They were doing a spot ticket check at Etienne Marcel and to my shock I couldn’t find the ticket. I had just bought a carnet at Chateau Rouge and had put it in Dexter’s bag after I went through the turnstile. I had proof of my very recent purchase ( 4 minutes according to my receipt) and 9 tickets left. She was apoplectic. We went round and round for five minutes with me (in so so French) trying to make her see the receipt and tickets and tearing my bag and purse apart (ticket later found stuck to Dexter’s therapy badge). When I realized that she was being unreasonable and not using any common sense I thought, what do I do It was clear she was going to write me a citation as a fare cheater or arrest me. That’s when I told her I had had enough, that I was done and going back to the train. And “Bon Nuit.”
I turned on my heel with great authority and went back to the platform. I think she was stunned and waited for me to come back up. When I didn’t, it was like a mild version of the French Connection scene. She and her team of 4 came down the steps to the platform. I had taken off my hat, shoved Dexter is his bag and sat waiting for the train at the other end of the platform. The train magically appeared. I could see the police from my peripheral vision, but I didn’t look — unlike Lot’s wife; see we do learn from history – - and I walked straight onto the train. As the train went past I could see her looking right at me. It was so weird. I didn’t want to tempt fate and wave. She was so horrible I can’t really describe how insane she was in the station. (even her colleagues didn’t get involved.) I took the zen approach of stopping my resistance. I realize now I was so lucky it ended there. Of course I had my receipt and tickets and a million bits and bobs to prove I was no fare beater, but a few hours in a Paris Police House to explain it all is not something I really needed to experience in this or any life time.
We escaped and are now on the lam….
Dexter has taken to wearing a disguise….see below! :-)
Dexter in Disguise
To those women and men who want to still go to the movies and see — GASP — a movie. Storyteller is an independent film company started by a woman writer/producer who decided that she could either bitch and moan about the state of film in 2011 — see recent articles by Anthony Lane in The New Yorker and a post by Roger Ebert lamenting the death of going to the movies — or do something about it. So she set out to write and produce good movies that were also movies that would put butts in seats. The other part of the equation was to create an environment for the creative teams to not be burdened down by corporate executives with too much time and not enough experience to really be telling professionals how to do their jobs –thus the decision to be an independent producer. So there you have it. We’ll be posting updates on Storyteller projects and blog on the various and sundry hills and valleys we find ourselves on along the way. We also want to hear from moviegoers and cinephiles and other professionals on their experiences in the changing world of cinema in the “Newish” Millennium. In addition we’ll also be sharing articles and making our friends aware of films they might be interested in making the trek to their neighborhood cinema or multi-plex to see up close and personal. While downloading films is great when you’re on the road, and getting that Netfilx packet makes you feel like someone out there sends you something in the post, there is nothing quite like going out to the movies and letting the lights go down — unless you’re in a major urban center where you may have to bean a texting moron with your popcorn. But then think of the satisfaction.
