We walked through
Paris late at night. The start of our road was Eiffel Tower.
…I was born in
the Soviet reservations, and I used to think that the world beyond the
"Iron Curtain" is a little bit unrealistic. Like in movies.
I have been in
different countries, but now I came to Paris...
This is real
Paris… It’s almost midnight. Behind us there is Eiffel Tower, in front of us –
a sleepy town.
Fabulous... I
remember Woody Allen’s movie "Midnight in Paris". If we walk through
the dark streets for a long time we can get to the past.
No, the main character
was walking through Montmartre, and we’re strolling along the Seine. There are familiar
places around
us.
Under the
Must I recall
Our loves recall how then
After each sorrow joy came back again
Where is this bridge?
Some people play guitar
and sing. And this place... Yes, we remember this place... Julie Delpy and
Ethan Hawke walked here in "Before Sunset". Why do we remember only
American movies?
Eric Rohmer’s
"Sign of Leo"... hot concrete embankment...
And
expressionists... thousands of other references, reflections... And I see the
original... and now it is night.
I suddenly realize
that I’m really seeing Paris. Do you hear it? I’m seeing Paris. No, you didn’t
understand me. I realize that I am one of the few people who can see Paris so
deeply and so childy.
We’re rejoicing
in the miracle and we’re moving on. Me and my family. We're all a little crazy.
Paris is getting
darker now, Seine is left behind. We can’t navigate, but we don’t worry about
it.
There are
sleeping Parisians in the houses around us. Maybe Amelie Poulain is sleeping
there, too. Or Audrey Tautou. Sometimes we ask passersbies about something.
We do not know the name of our hotel, so our questions have almost no meaning.
We speak English badly, and so do Parisians. We’re asking them about anything,
just because they are Parisians. We like
to talk to them.
I’m going through
Paris late at night and I want to make a movie. Yes, some existential movie in
the spirit of Godard or Rohmer. I could be the protagonist of this film. I
could say a lot of existential nonsense...
Yes, this is Paris
