Photo of the Week
Another view of the Centre Pompidou. Photo © Darren Palmer of Paris by Photo.
Wednesday, 30 May 2012 00:00
Paris Update What's New in Paris
RESTAURANT/CLUB/CAFE
Wanderlust: Finally, part of Les Docks, Cité de la Mode et Design will open to the public on June 6. Brunch on the terrace, take a yoga class, take in a concert or dance all night. 34, quai d'Austerlitz, 75013 Paris.
SHOPS
Stella Cadente: The designer of very feminine clothing and accessories has a new Paris store that's like a gold-lined tunnel. 102 boulevard Beaumarchais, 75011 Paris.
Ecolo-Chic: Pop-up store in the Marais selling ethically resourced products, from toys and design to organic wine. 90, rue des Archives, 75003 Paris.
SMOKING
A new organization, L'Union pour les Droits des Fumeurs Adultes, has been formed to lobby for the rights of French smokers
JUSTIN ON THE ROOFTOPS
Keep your eyes peeled: Justin Bieber will be filming for the Web TV program live@home in an undisclosed location on the rooftops of Paris on the evening of May 31. Click here to win a pass to the taping.
Wednesday, 30 May 2012 00:00
Paris Update Flash News
CAKE THE WAY WE LIKE IT
Goodies on display at Merce and the Muse.
Nowadays, American expatriates in Paris can easily satisfy almost all their nostalgic food cravings, from hamburgers to Reese’s peanut-butter cups or Oreo cookies. Until Merce and the Muse opened in the Upper Marais, however, it wasn’t easy to find good homemade, American-style cakes. The desserts at this homey, flea-market-furnished café are not just good, they are scrumptious and original, made from owner Merce Muse’s own recipes. The other day I shared a slice of chocolate layer cake with vanilla icing and another of pistachio cake with rose icing with a friend, but in truth I wanted to eat all of both of them. 1 bis, rue Dupuis, 75003 Paris. Tel.: 09 53 14 53 04. Open Tues.-Sun. for breakfast, lunch and coffee; brunch on Sunday. Heidi Ellison
Paris Update This Week's Events
For full details about an event, click on its name to visit the official Web site (in English when available).
 Art Saint-Germain-des-Prés
>Left Bank gallery walk. Collective opening, May 31, 6pm. May 31-June 3.
Carré Rive Gauche
>Another Left Bank gallery walk, with 120 participating galleries. June 1-June 3.
Champs-Elysées Film Festival
>A new Franco-American film festival, presided over by Lambert Wilson and Michael Madsen. Various locations, Paris, June 6-12.
Chartre en Lumières
> The town of Chartres illuminates its monuments and the cathedral with colorful light installations. Through Sept. 15.
Designer's Days
>Design shops, galleries, schools and more participate in a city-wide design event. Various locations, Paris, May 31-June 4.
Festival de l'Imaginaire
> Performances by troupes from around the world, Maison des Cultures du Monde, Paris, through June 17.
Festival de Saint Denis
> Music festival featuring both stars like Sir Colin Davis and young talents; ends with a dawn performance by horse whisperer Bartabas and oud player Mehdi Haddab, Cathedral and Legion of Honor, Saint Denis, through June 30.
Festival Extensions
> Concerts, dance, films and more, various locations, Paris and Val de Marne, through May 31.
Festival International des Jardins de Chaumont-sur-Loire
>"Gardens of delights, gardens of delirium" is the theme of this year's garden festival, Chaumont-sur-Loire, through Oct. 21.
Festival Jazz à Saint-Germain-des-Prés
>Jazz acts ranging from amateur to big names like Ahmad Jamal and Yusef Lateef (together). Various locations, Paris, Through June 3.
Le Court en Dit Long
>Festival of short films. Centre Wallonie-Bruxelles, Paris, June 4-9.
Nomades
>Cultural festival in the third arrondissement; art, poetry, concerts and more. Various locations, Paris, May 31-June 3.
Quinzaine des Réalisateurs
>The features and short subjects entered in this category at the Cannes Film Festival shown in Paris, Forum des Images, Paris, May 31-June 10
Salon du Vin de La Revue du Vin de France
>Annual wine fair. Palais Brongniart, Paris, June 2-3
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Césars
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Film
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/ Flash News
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Created on Sunday, 28 February 2010 23:00
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Published on Sunday, 28 February 2010 23:00
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Written by Nick Hammond
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Un Prophète has been sweeping film awards, including the French Césars and the British BAFTAs.
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“A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house.” So goes the biblical dictum. Well, not any longer, because Jacques Audiard’s Un Prophète has just received the ultimate ...
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Un Prophète has been sweeping film awards, including the French Césars and the British BAFTAs.
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“A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house.” So goes the biblical dictum. Well, not any longer, because Jacques Audiard’s Un Prophète has just received the ultimate accolade in its own country, the award of the César for best film, along with another eight awards, including best director, best actor (for newcomer Tahar Rahim), best supporting actor (Niels Arestrup) and best screenplay.
The cascade of prizes and nominations that has been bestowed on this hard-hitting prison drama, including the award for best foreign film at the recent BAFTAS (the British version of the Oscars) and its nomination for best foreign film at the forthcoming Oscars, raises the question of why there should be separate categories for English-language and non-English-language films. Un Prophète clearly deserves to be judged on its own merits, and there is little doubt that, if the Oscar competition were a genuinely level playing field, it would beat the likes of Avatar.
However, not to be outshone on the isolationist front, the French Césars have their own award for best foreign movie, and this year it was given to Clint Eastwood’s wonderful Gran Torino, which itself was scandalously overlooked at last year’s Oscars. As at the BAFTAS, where another American movie, The Hurt Locker, won the top prize, Avatar has been snubbed by all major European cinematic ceremonies.
Of the other Césars bestowed on Sunday night, perhaps the most ludicrous decision was the best actress prize, which went to Isabelle Adjani for La Journée de la Jupe. Admittedly, it was a thin year for great female cinematic roles, but Adjani’s performance was simply embarrassing; such overacting should be rewarded with a stern telling-off and not France’s highest cinematic acting accolade!
On a more positive note, it was good to see Riad Sattouf’s Les Beaux Gosses (reviewed favorably by Paris Update) winning the César for best first film. And I was thrilled that the fascinating movie, L’Enfer de Henri-Georges Clouzot, won the best documentary award.
A full list of the awards can be found here.
Nick Hammond
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