Of the education of children

Just got back from Canadia (Shouts to all my norff-a-da-border playas out there holding it down) and get this: there's this magical, windblown world of ice and brunettetitude called "Quebec" where--are you ready for this--tout le monde speaks FRENCH! When can I move? (Incidentally I'll use this sprinkle of Gallic flavor to shout out a literary paragon & pal o'mine, my mans Michel de Montaigne, whose birthday was yesterday, Feb 28. Happy 473rd, kid!)

Apart from narrowly avoiding the loss of my passport (shouts to Fabien @ Bily Kun), and the further loss of my pride and Canadian dollars at the Montreal casino, a great time was had by all, criticizing laughably myopic (for once, not American) coverage of the Olympics, savoring the heavenly unification of gravy, cheese curds, and french fries that is poutine, and detesting duMaurier cigarettes.

Not much film was watched apart from Lucile Hadzihalilovic's Innocence, out on DVD (though, not quite available yet Stateside) which by all rights should be given some home theater love. If you've got a free 30 minutes, read Montaigne's essay--a letter to the Comtesse de Gurson--about the education of children, a topic which very much concerns the narrative drive (call it that if you're generous) of Innocence. Where Montaigne is more explicit, more Polonius-to-Laertes in advice-doling, Hadzihalilovic is oblique, allegorical, and pleasantly obsessed with brightly colored ribbons. All the better, I say. Cinematography's achingly lush, and the candied gauziness stands in opposition to the mounting dread you feel as this world of lollipops & hulahoops feels threatened by some malevolent darkness lurking, one which you hope is some ghastly werewolf but is probably just teenage boys. Again, fully deserving of a first/second look, even if you never quite know why the little pixies show up to their prepubescent paradise in coffins.

Not-at-all-inspired-by-this-paean-to-girlhood, another film was made. After Chris Marker's La Jetee, a short composed entirely of still photos (one of which is posted above) will be making their way to other blogshores, and maybe even this one, once completed. Get excited.