zefrenchpeople

Christian Fechner, “the producer with Gold fingers”, passed away at age 64 of cancer.  He was one of the greatest producers in the French movie industry.  He is the father of several French classics comedies: Papy fait de la Résistance (videos ) and La soupe aux choux (one of my favorite movies) for example.

Worked with the best actors including Louis de funès , with the best realizators.  

How to get in touch with aliens:

His Films:

• 1972 : Les Fous du stade de Claude Zidi
• 1972 : Les Charlots font l’Espagne de Jean Girault
• 1973 : Le Grand Bazar de Claude Zidi
• 1973 : Je sais rien, mais je dirai tout de Pierre Richard
• 1974 : Les Quatre Charlots mousquetaires d’André Hunebelle
• 1974 : Tendre Dracula de Pierre Grunstein
• 1974 : Les Charlots en folie : À nous quatre Cardinal ! d’André Hunebelle
• 1974 : Céline et Julie vont en bateau de Jacques Rivette
• 1974 : La Moutarde me monte au nez de Claude Zidi
• 1974 : Les Bidasses s’en vont en guerre de Claude Zidi
• 1975 : Le Mâle du siècle de Claude Berri
• 1975 : La Star, le boucher et l’orpheline de Jérôme Savary
• 1975 : La Course à l’échalote de Claude Zidi
• 1975 : Un sac de billes de Jacques Doillon
• 1975 : Bons baisers de Hong Kong d’Yvan Chiffre
• 1976 : Calmos de Bertrand Blier
• 1976 : L’Aile ou la Cuisse de Claude Zidi
• 1977 : L’Animal de Claude Zidi
• 1978 : La Zizanie de Claude Zidi
• 1979 : Bête mais discipliné de Claude Zidi

• 1980 : L’Avare de Jean Girault et Louis de Funès
• 1981 : Viens chez moi, j’habite chez une copine de Patrice Leconte
• 1981 : La Soupe aux choux de Jean Girault
• 1982 : Ma femme s’appelle reviens de Patrice Leconte
• 1983 : Le Ruffian de José Giovanni
• 1983 : Circulez y a rien à voir de Patrice Leconte
• 1983 : Papy fait de la résistance de Jean-Marie Poiré
• 1984 : Marche à l’ombre de Michel Blanc
• 1985 : Le Mariage du siècle de Philippe Galland
• 1985 : Les Spécialistes de Patrice Leconte
• 1985 : Bras de fer de Gérard Vergez (uniquement distributeur)
• 1985 : Moi vouloir toi de Patrick Dewolf
• 1986 : Black Mic Mac de Thomas Gilou
• 1986 : Les Frères Pétard d’Hervé Palud
• 1988 : Camille Claudel de Bruno Nuytten
• 1989 : Mes meilleurs copains de Jean-Marie Poiré

• 1991 : Les Amants du Pont-Neuf de Leos Carax
• 1995 : Élisa de Jean Becker
• 1997 : Tout doit disparaître de Philippe Muyl
• 1998 : Une chance sur deux de Patrice Leconte
• 1999 : Les Enfants du marais de Jean Becker
• 1999 : La Fille sur le pont de Patrice Leconte

• 2001 : Un crime au paradis de Jean Becker
• 2003 : Chouchou de Merzak Allouache
• 2004 : L’Incruste de Corentin Julius
• 2005 : L’Antidote de Vincent de Brus
• 2006 : Les Bronzés 3 - Amis pour la vie de Patrice Leconte
• 2006 : L’Entente cordiale de Vincent de Brus
• 2006 : La Voix de Karine Dessalle
• 2007 : L’Auberge rouge de Gérard Krawczyk

November 25th is the day when we celebrate “les Catherinettes” in honor of the Christian Saint Catherine of Alexandria, it is to say the unmarried single ladies of over 25 years old.  There is apparently a tradition which is to wear a handmade yellow and green hat.

Anyways,  that night is of course a very animated one, with free club entrance and free drinks: a good reason to party.

 A husband, St. Catherine

A handsome one, St. Catherine

A rich one, St. Catherine
A nice one, St. Catherine
And soon, St. Catherine

Three days away from eating turkey (and watch football), I can’t get my mind off Thanksgiving .  This not-so-traditional festivity and might-I-say debatable Holiday , is a very unusual thing to celebrate in France .  As much as we like to copy the US when it concerns days off, it is very hard (apart from Paris) if not impossible to actually get into a Thanksgiving spirit in the old world.  We do have an interest in it and a curiosity about the excitement that is brought into your homes.

It is difficult for me to get into it until the last minute when I realize how important it is here.  It is what Christmas Eve’s dinner feels like, which doesn’t seem to be as important here.    Maybe because you get your share of food and family only a month before Christmas and turkey is not a big deal anymore… don’t know.  It’s just not the same to me at least.

Where to find food to celebrate?

And as a dessert here is some French Thanksgiving vocabulary:

Anxious to know dates of the next few Thanksgiving?

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Poems:

THANKSGIVING DAY
Thanksgiving Day will soon be here
It comes around but once a year
If I could only have my way,
We’d have Thanksgiving every day. 

TURKEY
I am a big, fat turkey
You can’t have my head.
I’ll sit with you at dinner.
We’ll eat a duck instead!

Unbelievably enough, Chinese Democracy is here, at Best Buy .  You should claim your free Dr. Pepper now!  You can also win a copy of the album by entering here.

The new Guns and Roses album breaks myspace record with more than 25 listens a second.

Guns N’ Roses 11.23.08 Chinese Democracy Album Arrives

<Ségolène Royal>                     <Martine Aubry>

To sum up, Ségolène Royal lost the Socialist Party leader’s seat to Martine Aubry.  Now the votes are being contested and it seems like the Party wants to split yet again.

All the buzz about these elections and the cat fight over it, led youngsters to create a website based on a TV reality show called Star Academy.  It’s a mix of Big Brother and American Idol. Very popular in Europe.  Actually in more than 50 countries but it seems like it didn’t work out in the US (The One: Making a Music Star). 

The parody of the Star Academy is the PS Academy (official website).   But anyways, all this to say that Ségolène is the endlessly favourite of all elections but never the winner… quite frustrating I’m sure.  It’s been said that she only ran for the Presidency to be in her ex-partner’s way (François Hollande) because he was having an affair with a journalist. You can find more about this and other things in a controversial and really interesting book (in French) : La Femme Fatale .

Élection results:

• Martine Aubry : 62,5%

• Ségolène Royal : 20,66

• Benoît Hamon : 16,86

Run off:

• Martine Aubry : 76,01%

• Ségolène Royal : 23,99%

** updates: I found the following numbers on BBC which seems more accurate: “Ms Aubry, 58, won 50.02% in a second ballot of party members. Ms Royal scored 49.98%.”