Thursday, October 13, 2011

French Film Crew Visits Outer Cape

Over the past couple days, a French film crew stayed at Chez Sven. The trio is filming Americans, from different walks of life, in all fifty states, for their travel saga “L’Amerique Dans Tous Ses Etats.” The show, in its third season, aims to help the French understand the people of the United States, as opposed to governmental policy or media spin or images from Hollywood, real people, in other words, a reality show with a French twist. Host Gerard Klein was accompanied by producer Laurent Le Gall and Greg Martoglio, the cameraman on the left.

I had a marvelous time speaking French with my guests, who laughed a lot. This jolly crew has already covered California, Louisiana, Texas, South Dakota and several Western states, including Arizona, Montana and Idaho. Had I been responsible for their Cape Cod itinerary, I would have shown them Wellfleet, of course, but I was merely part of the scenery and quite lucky to be, a happenstance owed to a quarter century spent in France.

For Monday, the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce organized a visit with oystermen on the flats in Dennis. Tuesday had the trio traveling from Falmouth to Provincetown to meet a Woods Hole potter and a Quahog whisperer. They dined in Wellfleet at The Bookstore.

Yesterday morning Gerard interviewed me over breakfast. I served green smoothies and banana bread, as well as our regular granola, organic fruit salad and yogurt. I cannot remember what I said, so we will have to wait for the DVD to find that out. I know we had a long discussion on how to say “kale” in French and concluded France does not really use it much as a vegetable: “chou frisé.”

Since we had all hit if off so well, Gerard, Laurent and Greg invited me along on a return trip to Provincetown. We took Route 6A and stopped first at Day’s Cottages, in North Truro. In this picture, Greg films Cape Cod Bay. I explained how frequently the cute green-shuttered buildings show up in paintings/photography and fielded questions on the first Pilgrims who spent five weeks at anchor prior to crossing to Plymouth.

The Visitor’s Center at Race Point, with its incredible panoramic views, drew raves from the Frenchmen. Driving through the dramatic Provincelands landscape, Gerard hopped out of the SUV and promptly found an edible mushroom in the brush. We drove on to Herring Cove, a beach I had never visited myself, before reaching the center of town. Gerard headed for his favorite shop to buy a dozen pairs of socks. (Why is it that men find Marine Specialties so fascinating?) We finished our morning at the Lobster Pot.

I was very sorry to wave goodbye as the Frenchmen sped off towards the Hyannis ferry and Martha’s Vineyard. After Cape Cod, they will report from Boston/Cambridge and Salem, then New Hampshire and Maine.

I felt almost like a traitor, showing off Provincetown, unable to share favorite Wellfleet attractions. I did suggest checking out Wednesday’s blog post for links to local photos. Greg may not have filmed our beloved town, but I think the unique quality of the Outer Cape will certainly figure in the Massachusetts episode.

Laurent and Greg live in San Francisco. Laurent told me proudly that he will soon become a US citizen. Only Gerard still lives in France. It turned out that we have a good friend in common, Laurent Boyer, who helped me find my second radio job.

Our morning together reminded me of the French term “joie de vivre,” which one does not encounter so much here in the USA, unfortunately. We are all too busy making a living.

These Frenchmen have managed to find a way to make work fun. Their motto: do work you enjoy = happiness. Are you able to apply this concept to your life?

Comments (18)

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Living Large's avatar

Living Large · 697 weeks ago

Sounds like fun and yes, most days I'm able to make my work fun and enjoyable!
I think it's so important to do what you love. After all, there are so many hours that we spend working every day. Sounds like you had a wonderful time with this group! The movie sounds fascinating. Will it be releasedvhere in the US?
2 replies · active 697 weeks ago
Sheryl, its a TV show. Could be a movie, too, though. You're right. They could pull together the most important comments for a documentary on the USA.
PS. You can find excerpts from last year's season if you Google L'Amerique Dans Tous Ses Etats.
alisa bowman's avatar

alisa bowman · 697 weeks ago

That is so cool that they are filming to help spread understanding. It would be cool if we had something of the reverse here--an american film crew that helped us to better understand Europeans etc.
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They should stop in here, we're videographers in the White Mountains. And the foliage is stunning now!
1 reply · active 697 weeks ago
Hi, Zuleme. I would be glad to pass on your information to them if you send it. CHEZSVEN AT COMCAST DOT NET,
nopotcooking's avatar

nopotcooking · 697 weeks ago

I would love to see what conclusions they make about Americans in this film. I always think we can understand ourselves better when we see through someone else's eyes.
Hi Sandra, Thank you so much for being such a wonderful host to our French guests! They raved about Chez Sven for the 2 days that I escorted them around the Cape. Your hospitality made a great impression on them! Here's a little background on how they got here. The Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, along with Discover New England and the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism, work to attract and invite media like this from around the world. These organizations helped to shape their itinerary based on the show's criteria. Their show is a television series on travel to the United States, one state at a time. The series is very popular in France, so it won't be televised here in the United States for obvious reasons. We actually handle many journalists and film crews to promote beautiful Cape Cod and all of its wonderful towns to both domestic and International travelers. So keep your eye out for these curious journalists and filmmakers, especially in the Spring and Fall!
Oh how fun! I hope I get a chance to see it and review it on my site.
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I friend of mine recently left his career in radio, and I think he misses it. Another friend left his job as a firefighter because of the emotional toll. He still works in the "industry," but I know he misses it. Many of the best people I know do NOT do what they love because of the impact that career choice has on their well-being and family budgets. I think it's tough to do what you love and love your day-to-day life at the same time. At least (for me lately), it is.
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Sandy bonjour,
J'aime vraiment ton enthousiasme, la fierté avec laquelle tu aimes ton pays et ta région; je pense que Gérard Klein et son équipe ont du beaucoup aimer ton accueil et qu'ils vont en faire une belle restitution. Pour moi Gérard Klein c'est ma jeunesse et mai 68 à la radio !!! Tu as eu beaucoup de chance de les rencontrer.
Marie-Eve
How funny that the French aren't really into kale as a vegetable! I hope they take some of your excellent kale recipes back to their family and friends to share.
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What a great experience for you--and Wellfleet. You'll update us, won't you about this?
For all that I gripe about writing from time to time, I do love it and feel fortunate to have found it. Otherwise, I'd be an unhappy lawyer, struggling to do something that never fit me.
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How incredibly fun this must have been. I was just talking to my husband about my own tendency to at times gravitate toward the safe, rather than the fun. Somehow, this revelation took me to a depth I had not realized (or was willing to really feel). Your post actually comes at a good time for me, as a good reminder to what my insides are trying to tell me. Thank you.
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Hi Sandy,
How lucky you were! (How lucky THEY were to have you as a hostess!) Gerard Klein, is, of course, very well-known and respected in France! I am looking forward to seeing you soon and hearing more.
C'est si chouette! Et ils sont beaux en plus. J'espère qu'ils decident de venir dans l'Oregon!

And I do love my work. Though I'm often mad about the injustices I learn and write about. So I'm not quite as jolly as they, but certainly passionate!

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