que le titre choisir . . .

pour cette entrée de journal . . .

i could start with A.O. Scott's closing line of his review of films at the New York Film Festival: "Audiences in search of escapism may have to look toward France." because, well, filmmakers must might often turn to France (this filmmaker does).

then, there's this, much more clearly aligned with my filmmaking aspirations: "[Y]ou don’t have to be French to make a French movie." voilà.

of course, as i've said before, i've got a vibe on, a hopeful (and fearful -- the story is terribly difficult to experience) anticipatory joy for Julian Schnabel's Le Scaphandre et le papillon (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly). see also the American trailer (a funny study in contrasts, although both are quite good; i, um, prefer the French). and The New York Times overview.

Schnabel won the Cannes 2007 Best Director award for the film. i. can't. wait.

another i'm excited to see is Le Voyage du ballon rouge (The Flight of the Red Balloon), directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien (see l'image, above) but i've told you that before. also, if you have not yet seen Paris J'Taime, you must (especially for Margo Martindale).

And Sundance 2007 Audience Award Winner, Once. A-Ma-Zing, especially the scene in the music shop where "guy" and "girl" first play together. i know i'm late in this game (the film's been out for quite some time), but i need to recommend it to you.

and because i'm not a complete francophile (mais très presque), i anticipate indulging an aesthetically pleasing nostalgic melancholia via Anton Corbijn's fictional account of "the story" of Ian Curtis and Joy Division in Control. there's also a frenchmyspacepage.

Read A.O. Scott's promising review for details.