Welcoming summer with French Cinema

The time of year has arrived where I am suddenly faced with a swarm of projects and tasks to complete if I must finish this semester strong. This time of the year constantly challenges my confidence in whether or not I am truly prepared to be a real adult, balancing multiple responsibilities. Maybe I’ll grow into it one day, that's what I’m sticking with for now. In reality, I’m a girl working on her business communication project, thinking of crisis management strategies, but in my heart, I’m a girl who knows summer is nearing and I have to stay strong.

To allow myself to stay in a constant state of motivation to complete all my assignments, I have been pairing typing away with watching Eric Rohmer films. Rohmer is a prominent French film director and a key figure in the “New Wave” movement of post-war French cinema. Most of his movies involve beautiful people seeking romance and self-discovery, accompanied by a beautiful beach town background. Personally, this is kind of what I am going for this summer. Listen, after I finish that business communications project, it’s only right that I deserve such an experience in light of all my hard work.

The first film of Rohmer’s I watched was recommended by my travel-savvy older sister, “Le Rayon Vert” or “The Green Ray.” I think we both found this movie comically relatable, as well as just nice to look at, because of its featured scenery in both Paris and the Alps. Delphine, the main character, is just a girl who broke up with her boyfriend and wants to find somewhere to go for the summer. Like my sister and I, she longs for a vacation whenever and wherever. Although, ironically, the whole time Delphine is trying to figure out where she can go, her house and life are already my own personal summer goals. I love that these characters in Rohmer’s films are crying and longing for somewhere to discover love and a secret within their inner self, while sitting around a Parisian garden with fresh fruit and friends. However, perhaps if you really think about it or squint in a certain way, my college house backyard in Athens, Georgia, could also hold a sort of Euro-summer vibe.

Anyways, I continue to understand Delphine. The poor girl just wants a change of scenery, fulfillment and connection, which again, is all I am feeling while finishing up finals. She hopes the green ray at sunset will reveal the answer to whether or not she’ll find true summer love; meanwhile, I’m looking for the same conclusion at my college bar on a Thursday. Do you think we’ll feel the same clarity?

I have also recently re-watched “A Summer’s Tale,” another one of his films, in which there is just lots of walking around, talking about love and sitting on a beach. However, this one in particular really made me appreciate the style of filmmaking in which most of the scenes are just focused on simple, natural dialogue that feels like a conversation I’d have with one of my friends. There is a lot of this, as well as scenes of the main character doing something mundane, like sitting and playing the guitar. It is a film that utilizes technical aspects rather than throwing jump-cuts in my face, which is something I can really appreciate. These style choices really make me long for a summer in which I can just sit and do nothing but enjoy a view, or a view with a moment of connection with a friendly stranger.

In conclusion, I cannot list every one of these films that I have watched recently, but just know they all capture the same feelings. Each one truly encompasses the classic experience of longing in summer, whether that be for a person, self-discovery or a destination. So, as I sit and finish up my final projects and share my final moments with friends before departing for summer break, I am using these films as motivation for my own French-cinema-esque summer.

Strike Out,

Cira Thigpen

Editor: Meghan Bosman

Athens

Welcoming summer with French Cinema

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