Paris Watch Capital Welcomes Movie Lovers With Open Arms By KIKI YOSHIDA	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
パリジャンは映画が大好き 筆者は、週に1度は映画館に足を運ぶ大の映画ファン。もっとも筆者が特別、というわけではなく、芸術の都パリには、映画が好きな市民が多いのです。フランス映画界にも、ジャン・レノやソフィー・マルソーなど、世界的に活躍している俳優・女優が大勢います。

I go to the cinema about once a week. There is a big movie theater with 18 screens within walking distance of my apartment.

Compared with Japan, admission fees are not high here — less than 50F (¥750). And you can see any motion picture at half price if you go to the first performance, which starts around 10 a.m.

You can also get a good deal by purchasing a coupon ticket, which lets you see a set number of movies over a 60-day period. The cinema I usually go to offers two kinds of coupon tickets, one for five movies and the other for seven. It is one of the biggest reasons I go to the cinema so often.

To celebrate the year 2000 and the return of spring, the Federation Nationale des Cinemas Francais proposed a special admission fee of 2000 centimes (¥300) for admission to any film all over France from March 19 to 21. As expected, this offer increased audiences dramatically.

I try to remember the first French film I ever saw. Was it "37.2 C le Matin" or "Le Mari de la Coiffuse" Almost all of the French movies I have seen have left a strong impression on me, whether because of artistic scenes or their depiction of inexplicable emotions.

Before I came here, French actors and actresses were mysterious to me. In Japan we don't get much information on them, unlike Hollywood stars. It was hard to find a recent photo or an interview in magazines unless a French actor's career was international.

Nowadays it is not rare to see French actors in Hollywood movies. Juliette Binoche won an Oscar a few years ago and Sophie Marceau played a Bond girl in the latest 007 movie. Virginie Ledoyen and Guillaume Canet appeared with Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Beach". I felt sorry for these two young actors though, since the only question the media asked them was, "How was it playing with DiCaprio?"

I used to be very excited to be able to turn on the television and see Carole Bouquet, Christophe Lambert, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Gerard Depardieu and many others on my screen. It was incredible for me to see them talking and laughing so naturally, because for a long time they existed only on the big screen. They have become less mysterious.

I was also surprised at how many American movie stars speak French. They even give live interviews on TV. I like Woody Allen, with his strong American accent. It sounds so cute!

I have run into two celebrities in Paris. Once I was at a computer shop near Les Halles. I was with my friend, who said, "Look, Kiki. We have the "Leon" guy here." I turned around and found Jean Reno in the same shop. He was taller and more robust than I would have thought. Right away, three or four salespersons started explaining how to operate the machine he was looking at. That's what being famous is. You don't need to ask.

The other time I was at a department store. A girl passed right by my side, singing loudly. I realized it was Romane Bohringer. She looked so ordinary, just another French girl.

Jean Cocteau is a very important artist. Without him, I might not be in France today. His art influenced me beyond measure. I often wonder how I should describe him — poet, film director, illustrator, novelist, playwright, painter? Then I always come to this conclusion: It is enough just to call him "Cocteau."

I can't talk about Cocteau's films without mentioning Jean Marais, and vice versa. "Beauty and the Beast" (1946), "Orphee" (1950), and "Le Testament D'Orphee" (1961) are really amazing. I can sense the strong bond of love between these two great artists. They worked hard together for 25 years. To them, the theater was life itself. Ever since Cocteau gave Marais his first role, he was one of the best known actors.

Cocteau died before I was born. So I was very glad to be in France when Marais was still playing in the theater. It was such a privilege for me. I was devastated by the news of his death, Nov. 8, 1998. Jean Marais died of a heart attack at the age of 85 in Cannes.

I have a friend who is a filmmaker. He has shot several documentaries and short films and is now making his first feature film.

As an artist it is important to be surrounded by other artists. Every time I visit my friend's house, there's always a bunch of people, coming and going. And they are all working on their own art projects. It is stimulating to exchange ideas with them.

One day we were talking and he started telling me how much he appreciates Japanese films. He is not the only one; they are greatly admired in this country. Kurosawa, Imamura, Oshima and Kitano are considered Japanese geniuses. I have never seen so many Japanese movies in my life until now. It is like discovering my own culture.

Cannes is preparing for its 53rd film festival in May. I wonder what drama will be born this year.

Shukan ST: April 7, 2000

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