Sunday, 23 September 2012

Ici Najac, a vous la terre and Charlotte Gray

A documentary film about  the Aveyronaise village Najac and some of its bizarre inhabitants. When we saw it initially in 2006, we enjoyed its charm and also enjoyed spotting characters we knew. We have the DVD and watched it again last night and I was surprised that I can now undertand the language but sadly did not enjoy it this time around. A French friend had said that it showed the village in a bad light as the film maker  had chosen marginals and plain idiots to star in it. Watching it this time I felt she had a point. You can buy it at the Tourist Office in Najac if you would like to decide for yourselves.
Now, Charlotte Gray from the Sebastian Faulks novel,  I never tire of. When we arrived  to settle  in here in 2001  the filming had just started in St. Antonin. The shops were all painted in drab colours and people with houses or rooms to let  in the area were all full with cast and filming crew.  Cate Blanchett and Michael Gambon were to be seen strolling around the village and it is rumoured that Cate conceived a child whilst living here [ in a friends house would you believe!] If you have not watched this film you should ..