Friday, September 17, 2010

Ma voisine Agnès Varda


So I'm all moved into my new apartment in Paris, where I'll be studying French literature, cinema, and art history for the school year. Though I'm considering moving in with a friend in a few weeks, my current studio is in the 14th arrondissement near Montparnasse. My landlord was kind enough to show me around the neighborhood on the day I moved in, and I discovered that not only did Simone de Beauvoir live in a townhouse a few streets over until the mid-1980s, but New Wave filmmaker Agnès Varda, née "La Varda," currently resides just one street over from me, in a charmingly unconventional bright pink house. Her office is just across the street, and though it was closed on the day I passed by, I'm hoping to go check it out sometime soon-- or maybe just run into Agnès herself one of these days!

Chez Agnès

her office across the street

"La Varda" was one of the sole female filmmakers involved in the Nouvelle Vague. Born in Brussels, she studied photography at L'École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and later married filmmaker Jacques Demy. Her first major film, about a singer who falls ill, was Cléo de 5 à 7. Her most recent work, the surrealist filmic autobiography Les Plages d'Agnès, came out in 2008. Check out her work if you haven't already, she's incredibly talented (not to mention the cutest little old lady on earth)!!

an early photo of Demy and Varda


More on Paris to come soon. Bisous!

Below, a trailer for Les Plages d'Agnès:


Thursday, September 2, 2010

Celebrating 1,000 Unique Visitors and A Chance Encounter


Last week, I was in LA for just a few days to move in to my new apartment. I was hoping to meet up with co-blogger Annabel, but she was swamped preparing to leave the states for Paris in a day or two. But sure enough, as I walked out of the Beverly Hills Cheese Shop there she was! Right at the intersection of Beverly and Brighton!


Her mother took this neat photo to prove it.
I can't cait to read her posts from Paris.

Also, last week Can I Borrow Your Fire received its 1,000th unique visitor since July! I think Sara, Annabel, and I are all happy and frankly a bit surprised that so many people have been visiting. Don't be too shy to follow or comment!