Alternative castings

Such a laugh over the last few days. It's that moment in between Christmas and New Year, when nothing in particular is happening, although there's always loads to do and for once, I don't feel guilty about snuggling up on the sofa (with Mike) and catching up with a few DVDs. Some new, some gathering dust having been new a few months back, and which we'd not got round to seeing, some just not seen for a while.  Then of course there are the seasonal favourites. Which has meant that for much of the time we've been crying. Sometimes with laughter and sometimes because we're so choked up. Either way the net result is we have no more tissues in the house. (Note to self: add tissues to Thursday's shopping list).

First up was Scrooge - although some films take their name from the book. There are quite a few versions. The earliest one I can find is from 1935. Since then George C Scott has played the title role, Sir Patrick Stewart, Simon Callow. There are also animations, musical versions and even The Muppets got in on the act. But our favourite is from 1951, with a raft of superb British character actors and the comically bewildered Alistair Sims as Scrooge, once described by Ronnie Corbett as, "a sad-faced actor, with the voice of a fastidious ghoul". Sims epitomises (for me) the perfect actor/character pairing that happens from time to time. Not meaning that the others aren't good, but  those 'alternative castings' don't quite press my button and there's at least a dozen films to choose from.

The idea of 'alternative castings' popped up after we'd watched High Society. Fifty-eight years on, Cole Porter's music and lyrics are still sublime and the performances pitch perfect. To the extent that it's hard to imagine anyone else in any of the roles. But amongst the extras on the H.S. DVD, was an interview with Celeste Holm who plays the photographer Liz Imbrie, in which she spoke about Elizabeth Taylor and Howard Keel being considered as Tracy and Dexter, rather than Kelly and Crosby? The one person I could imagine playing Dexter as an alternative is Danny Kaye. Really good singer, terrific actor/comedien.

After that, the idea of 'who might have been' really intrigued, particularly with the big block busters that we've been watching. . . The Lord of the Rings. I'm trying to visualise
Sean Connery as Gandalf,  Bruce Willis as Boromir, Jake Gyllenhaal as Frodo, Russell Crowe as Aragorn. Seems Daniel Day Lewis was approached for Aragorn, but like the others mentioned, turned the film down. Now he would have been something.

As for Harry Potter: Ian McKellan/Dumbledore, Tilda Swinton/Professor Trelawney, Hugh Grant/Gilderoy Lockhart, Timothy Roth/Severus Snape, Robin Williams/Hagrid. 

Just fascinating. Such a fabulous collection of actors, each of whom would have brought something completely different to each of the films. 

Yesterday we watched The Court Jester. Generally regarded as Danny Kaye's masterpiece. We were speechless with laughter - again, and I must know it frame by frame. I can't imagine it in the hands of Jim Carrey or Steve Martin, so I hope there isn't an attempt to remake it or another favourite that we watched  a couple of days ago, the wonderful It's A Wonderful Life. Although there does seems to be a sequel in the pipeline based on the story of 'George Bailey's (James Stewart) grandson. There's an original idea for you!

Those little extras with coffee

I'm not referring to the alcoholic kind. Don't drink that sort of liquor any more. Never really been into it although in the past, my arm might have been twisted by the offer of a small glass of Drambuie.

The extras I'm thinking about are the chocolates that come with your coffee. At least here they still do. When we're back in Bradford on Avon in the Fat Fowl for example, there's usually a something or other, resting in the saucer. Perhaps a small piece of home made shortbread, or a morsel of a chocolate brownie which by the time the coffee arrives, has already started to melt, so becomes a messy exercise. At least where I'm concerned. Chocolate and y.t., don't go together well. Which is why I seldom wear white. Just a few seconds, even when it's just an ordinary white t-shirt, and I get splashed and left with that tell-tale blotch requiring a machine wash or if I'm quick enough, a vigorous hand wash. The colour white and chocolate are for me, dangerous territories. So anything chocolatey I approach with caution.

Why I'm making such a fuss about it, I've no idea, given that I'm not a chocolate person. As I've probably mentioned in another blog, I can get marginally excited by a pack of maltersers even a cadbury's chocolate flake. A ferrero rocher chocolate is more enticing, but only because it has nutty outer coating, which I like to bite off before I get to the middle with the hazelnut. A friend of ours John, insists on bringing a box round whenever her comes for dinner. But as he's very partial himself it's usually six to him, two to Mike and one to me.

Over here depending on where you go, it's either a chocolate or a biscuit that comes with coffee. As far as the biscuit is concerned, there's a rectangular one, which is hopeless if you're a dunker, as it flops too quickly, and you end up with a ghastly brown sludge at the bottom of the cup, or there's the little galette. All butter, similar in every detail except size, to the large galette biscuits which you can buy in any supermarket and are often sold on Brittany Ferries, which we use for travelling to and from the UK. Then there's the chocolate coated almond biscuit. Must admit that is good. Think they've been rolled in a chocolate powder as the final touch, because when you unpack them, they are matt in appearance.

However a new alternative has emerged. Probably been used this way for ages, but I've not seen them before until a couple of weeks ago, when we were out in Chinon and stopped for a coffee. What was lurking in the saucer - none other than a Kinder Schokobon.  It actually wasn't too bad. Probably the hazelnut filling helped make it acceptable as a coffee chaser. Only seen it this once though, so may be Schokobons haven't caught on - in Chinon.

While I think about it, the other small chocolate things that aren't bad are the baby toblerones. I'm saying this because in theory they are more useful. I admit one doesn't go very far if you're a chocolate fanatic, but enough of them make a decent chocolate sauce to go with vanilla ice cream. But then so do Mars bars - chopped up, with a little water and brandy in the pan. Over a low heat, stir the mars bar as it melts. Doesn't take long before you end up with a gorgeous sauce. It's the toffee that makes the difference.  Been making a chocolate sauce this way for a long time, ever since I worked at a restaurant in Sussex, which it served on their dessert menu, only it was called the 'Work, Rest and Play' sauce, to use Mars's (at the time) own tag line. A great success.

For someone who doesn't like chocolate, I'm not doing badly.

The joys of tinfoil!!

There is something bizarrely exciting about opening a new roll of tinfoil. It's a bit like snow at that point - completely unspoiled! Very shiny and smooth, with no tears, crinkles or wrinkles. The matt side is just as interesting. Such a shame in some ways it has to be used. I've saved a few sheets from Christmas, to re-use, but having been wrapped round various bowls and roasting trays, it looks decidely unattractive - a bit lumpy and definitely bumpy. Oddly the very wide type of tin foil, which is particularly useful at Christmas, I haven't been able to get anywhere locally over here. Sure I can improvise and fold two pieces together, but I rather like swathes of the wider stuff. So when we were back in the UK this last time, I stocked up. Given its foldability, it should be useful for origami and probably the used stuff more than the smooth stuff. I'll see what Mike thinks. Maybe it's not strong enough.

We've had a really fun Christmas. Definitely in merry mode. Not to imply that we've been pulling and popping corks relentlessly. But a few sips have passed my lips! Christmas Eve was great fun. We were round with our neighbour's Jacqueline and Norbert and their family including four grandchildren, two of whom are twin girls. Le réveillon (festive late night dinner), started around 8.30pm and we crawled into bed around 3am. Lovely evening. We'd negotiated taking round fizzy and amuses bouches for the apéros. The origami chef had gone into overdrive and I made a few things as well. So in the pouring rain, (it would be wouldn't it), we marched round to the house with everything tightly packaged up - in tinfoil. Damp and droopy amuses bouches are no fun, especially for Christmas Eve. All arrived safely and all were devoured (with very good feedback), while the children had their own special dinner on their own table. Worked so well. Jacqueline is so organised and thinks about everything and everyone. While in amuses-bouches mode, we were playing one of the games, that Jacqueline had enjoyed at our party and had asked us to bring along. Two small sacks of objects, that you have to identify by touch. Mike got them sorted out, and did one for the adults (17 objects)  and one for the children (7 objects). It's not as easy as one thinks. Everyone knows how many objects there are, but because they fall around inside the bag, it's quite tricky sometimes to find them all.

Le réveillon was of six courses with different wines for each course. Beginning with oysters, then
fois gras, with special bread and condiments of fig and onion, a gorgeous fish dish, then roast capon, cheeses and dessert. It was all fabulous and it couldn't have been a better way for us to celebrate. Very kind people and very generous. Christmas Day was quieter, grey and chilly, we had various things on the go, but spent much of the day at home, which was really nice. Boxing Day is just an ordinary day over here,  while in our heads it's a holiday. However a Latvian friend who has lived a long time in Chinon came round for lunch. It was a beautiful day, so afterwards we went for a walk, before taking her back to Chinon. Lovely lady. Her family are in Latvia. For various reasons she couldn't get back there to be with them.

So a very different Christmas for us in all sorts of ways. But one that we thoroughly enjoyed and were delighted to be here for. Thanks to our neighbours in Cravant for making it so special.

A Christmas Hello!!!

It's a been a great lead-up week to all the festivities. Parties and more parties, Christmas markets and portes ouvertes all over the place. It was Chinon's turn this weekend, with stalls all over the main square as well as inside the mairie. Christmas decorations in Chinon are simple but very effective. The main surprise is the ice rink in the old part of town. It's difficult to give the dimensions, but you can probably get about twenty people on it at the same time. Such fun.

The origami chef has been extremely busy - cooking as well as folding paper. Drinks events have needed a few eats to go with, so he's been in baking mode for the last few days. He's also been making Christmas decorations, so we have some great stars suspended from the ceiling - red, gold and white.  The stars take about two hours in total. Thirty pieces of paper to be individually folded and then stuck together. They look so lovely. He made a couple to help decorate the meeting room of one of our Anglo-French groups. There are also some table top style Christmas trees in sizes of medium and small, in different shades of green and a few presents for friends - a mobile of birds, some spinning tops and a great game of leaping frogs - and they do leap! It's a bit like tiddly winks - only with frogs! Squeeze them down, let go and they leap, ideally back in the box in which they are kept, which is also a Mike origami special.

So one day to go before our Christmas. Dec 24 is the main day here. We're into Chinon early tomorrow morning (23), to pick up our order from our butcher and a few last minute things. We're out for lunch tomorrow over in Ile de Bouchard. Then back home for another baking session and present wrapping. We've been invited to the family dinner of near neighbours Jacqueline and Norbert and their family. We feel very privileged to have been included. We've met everyone before a few times, but this is a little different. Very kind of the family to include us. We wanted to contribute to the meal, which is a big affair. So we're looking after the apéros & amuses bouches, some wine to go with the main dishes. We've made a few small mince pies as well,  to go with the yule log dessert.  Eleven adults and five children. It's been such fun finding little prezzies for the children.  It will be a late late finish, so probably December 25, we'll be recuperating. Boxing Day doesn't happen over here, it's an ordinary day, but we're cooking lunch and have local friends to join us.  It is also market day, so we'll be going back into town, for bread and a few other provisions no doubt, in the morning.

There are various things planned between Christmas and New Year, but N Y Eve itself, we're going round to friends nearby - just a ten minute walk at the most, which will be lovely. New Year's Day, a lot of people go out to lunch, so that's what we've decided to do - Les Années Trente at Chinon.

We're so looking forward to everything - a great way to end one year and start another. And we have our first visitors of 2014 from the UK, towards the end of January. We are all going to the big St.Vincent celebration in Cravant, which happens every year on the last weekend. It's an amazing occasion.

Mike and I have had such a wonderful year. We count ourselves very lucky to be doing what we're doing, and to have such great friends, family and neighbours in our life, albeit scattered about all over the place, as well as here in France and the UK.

Happy holidays to everyone. Have a wonderful time and may 2014 be everything you would like it to be.

It's official.....

Let's Dance!!

We're in Christmas mode! Kicked off last weekend with a road party at our place with our terrific neighbours. We laughed, sang, ate, played silly games, conga'd and zumba'd our way into the early hours of the morning.

Isa

Annabelle, who lives a couple of doors down from us was taking photos and over the last few days, has been loading them on to FB. We know how to party in rue des vignes!! Everyone had brought something or several plates of several somethings, so food was great and in abundance with lovely savoury things as well gorgeous cakes.

nos voisines!!

Love this photo. Not sure who took it. Guess one of the boys. From left to right - Isa, Émilie, Marjorie, Carine et Annabelle!


It was great fun being together and we so enjoyed having our neighbours round. From what we've heard, everyone really enjoyed themselves. So we're very happy bunnies.

Christmas Quiz 2013

Ok - no cheating please!! Here are the French titles for some well-known primarily American films. There's twenty in all. In the rush up to Christmas probably there isn't a lot of time to mess around with this sort of nonsense. But if there's a spare moment - give it a try. Some are easier to work out than others.   Or if any  French friends and neighbours are reading this: peut-être vous voudriez à la mise au point de ces titres de film en anglais?


Le roi et moi

La traducion infidèle

Les guerres des étoiles

Danse avec les loups

Les dents de la mer

Chauffeur de taxi

Le seigneur des anneaux -
Le retour du roi

Histoire de jouets

Certains l'aiment chaud

Le Chevalier noir

Le pouilleux millionnaire

Les Aventuriers de l'Arche Perdue

Mr. Smith au sénat

Luke la main froide

Le troisième homme

Diamants sur canapé

Le Magicien d'Oz

Le Train Sifflera Trois Fois

La Chevauchée Fantastique 

 Le Crime Etait Presque Parfait

To mark his passing

As most of you know we have family and friends in South Africa.  Or to be more precise, Mike has family and friends in S.A. who in the best and kindest of ways, readily accepted me into the Shearing fold some thirty years ago, when we first travelled there together.  This was around '79/'80.

At that time I was working in the theatre in London. The Arts community was fociferous in its condemnation of apartheid in S.A.  So it was rather tricky for me to announce, as a Press and PR officer in the heart of London's theatre land - that I was going there. So I didn't tell anyone. If I'm honest, I didn't want to go. I felt extremely uncomfortable.
My head was full of images and reports from The Observer, who through author and Observer journalist Anthony Sampson and the editorial courage of  David Astor, kept all that was happening in S.A. in our hearts and in our minds. This visit was to meet Mike's family and friends. So I was torn. I went. An elaborate plan was hatched to cover my four weeks away. A friend who was holidaying in the States sent all my postcards from there and even bought an office present for me. How crazy! But the mood was such that I needed this subterfuge. 

Mike and I went initially to Johannesburg and ended up in Cape Town. In between we travelled all over the Karoo, along the Garden Route, visiting as many of our friends and family as we could in the time we had.

This visit changed my perspective and I returned to the UK in a far better informed position than that in which I had arrived. Two of the reasons for this are called David and Taffy Shearing, who is in fact another Hilary. Two Hilarys in the same family. Those Shearings know how to give themselves a hard time! I was better informed, not in the sense that things diverged from what I was seeing and reading about in The Observer, but informed in terms of what David and Taffy were doing, as white South Africans to bring about change. This was a perspective that wasn't so readily available in the UK.

There are many stories to be told about our different visits to S.A., one of which was arriving the same day that Nelson Mandela was released. Our last visit was in 2011.
But for the purpose of this blog and to mark the passing of Madiba, I'd like to include a piece from David and Taffy's Christmas letter to the family, which tells of Taffy meeting him in 1994. I hope David and Taffy don't mind. They refer to it as a 'treasured memory' - it truly is and one I felt I just had to share:

" As a member of the local Peace Committee, I [Taffy] was invited to have breakfast with Nelson Mandela at the Oasis Hotel in Beaufort West in 1994 at the start of the ANC election campaign. The ticket was quite cheap, and there were about ten of us white people among the 50-60 in the multi-racial group.

But the funny thing was that breakfast wasn’t served. An ad hoc choir sang to us instead. We asked the old waiter what was happening. He warned that a procession of pick-ups, driven by khaki-dressed white men, had surrounded the hotel, and were standing in squads all around it. We soon heard they were far right-wingers from the Northern Cape, and our police – caught short – were in vans in the back streets. Somebody asked me what I was going to do. I didn’t fancy pushing my way through the right-wingers, so said I was sitting tight as I’d not yet had breakfast.

Next we heard that Mandela, in a room upstairs, had sent for their leader – a chap called Macdonald, who couldn’t speak any English. His khaki hat was decorated with huge black ostrich feather plumes, and we could just catch sight of them as he jauntily raced up the stairs. They say Mandela’s bodyguards removed a dagger from him. I don’t know if that’s true. He and Mandela had a one to one interview. A few minutes later the same guy, now holding his hat in his hands and his bravado gone, meekly walked down the stairs with his head down. He ran up to each of his squads just paraded outside, and ordered them to go home. “Ons behort nie hier nie,” (We don’t belong here), and they left for their various homes. Minutes later Mr Mandela and his entourage appeared at the main table, and he said in his gravelly voice, “I’m sorry. I got a bit delayed. I’m sure we’re all hungry, so let’s have breakfast.” The tension blew away as we all burst out laughing, and we tucked into our delayed breakfast.

Nelson Mandela’s speech to us was short. He apologized again for keeping us waiting, and then said these most important words, “We’re all going to work together for peace. There will be no persecution of white people, and we will build this country together for a better future.” He spoke in English, in Afrikaans and in Xhosa, so nobody could misunderstand him.
I was stunned. Did we whites deserve this warmth, this kindness?
I’m sad to say of course we didn’t.

Then the local Chair of the ANC brought him over to meet the Peace Committee. Of course I remember that special smile when I was introduced, but for me, what was even more reassuring was that he had a very small hand for a man of his size. And from that hand poured the most tremendous warmth.

So what I remember most of that precious moment nearly 20 years ago was my happiness that, thank God, there was life in this hand yet, and that he would be with us for quite a few years to come as we needed his leadership and his guidance. "

Thanks Taffy and David.

Whoohoo!!!!

We have a Christmas tree!!! First time in probably twenty-five years that we've had a real one. We've had several of the plastic variety. The house in BOA being a narrow, tall town house, hasn't got space for even that, so we've been pretty much tree-less for the last 5 years, since we moved there. Unless you count the three small shelf-sized trees that have been in Mike's family for years. We don't have them here in France with us - more's the pity.  They were made for Woolworths when it was a real store, rather than the jumble sale it became. The tree 'needles' are actually tiny slithers of dark green paper on thin wire. You could mistake them for feathers. They look amazing and are fixed inside painted wooden tubs, which have a lid to keep them stable. Each tree and tub is about 30.48cms high or 12 inches for imperial fans! Apparently the tops and the bottoms were sold for 6d or something around 2.5p. You have to be careful these days, when you decorate them, as  they are now rather fragile. However they still look amazing and at eighty years old are in such fantastic condition, that we've kept on using them. 

The tree this year came from Ikea! Our neighbour's son was doing a Christmas tree run for the family and asked if we'd like one as well. We said yes. We'd been umming and aahing where to get a tree from. So his questioned popped up at the perfect moment. For once  we've got the right shaped space for a tree. Sunday was pre-ordered tree collection day. Can't have been easy, as we heard later, Ikea was heaving, and particularly for the trees. Ikea had/has a deal on. Initially Euros 30, you get a discount to re-spend in the store again, before the end of March, so in the end, the tree price works out at Euros 10. It's a lovely tree as well. So decorating it and the house  has begun!

Great time of year

Been having such fun with the photography lately. The light and the colours have been stunning. So I've been getting out every day at different times. Probably autumn/late autumn into winter is my favourite time of year, particularly first thing in the morning and currently between 3 and 5pm.

Yesterday we got up, to a wall of such heavy mist that we could only see across to the other side of the road. Taking a photo is quite difficult in these conditions. As it turned out it was useful. Got some dust on the camera sensor. A regular hazard for anyone who is a photographer. There's a certain amount you can do to get rid of it. The DSLRs have a built-in sensor cleaning mode which can help. But I need to wipe the sensor itself, very carefully, which hopefully will do the trick and get rid of the last traces. Anyway this shot was taken just at the top of our road on our way into Chinon, and was pretty much like this all the way in. This was taken around 10am.

By 2pm in Chinon the light was just gorgeous. Mike was leading an origami workshop making Christmas decorations, so while he was doing that I went on a photography session by the river in Chinon. The sun by now was fairly low, and offered lovely colour tones and reflections.  As well as the bridge, just behind the trees on the right hand side, is La Forteresse. 

We went drove home around 5pm, just briefly before going back into Chinon for a book club meet to chat about The Dinner by Hermann Koch. The light was starting to go, but in its last throes was delivering a gorgeous sky. Pinky/rose through to a pale gold colour, which was also picking up the remnants of plane trails. A slight haze had come back as well. This line of trees is one that I use regularly. There are interesting shapes, and always something different to capture. 

A few days before we were in Chinon for a late afternoon concert. When we came out the light quality was perfect.  Such gorgeous cloud formations. The river was still, so the reflections really clear and the tonal range was just ideal.
All the different elements came together, so the composition was straight forward.

The real surprise this week, was finding a lake in the forest. We take the forest road whenever we want to pick up the main road to Tours or the motorways to Caen when we're coming back to the UK, so we know it well. We've also stopped along the way quite a few times so as I can take some photos. The ridiculous thing is that we stopped at the lake site before, but never saw it as it was so well camouflaged by trees and bushes. And there are various trails nearby, to take you off further into the forest. This time I guess because the foliage was much thinner, I saw what I thought was the edge of a quarry, so went to have a look. Just fabulous. Although I managed to get shots from all sorts of angles, there is still one section that I haven't checked out. So if another good day comes along, I'll go back for another session.

www.hilaryshearin5.wix.com/imageshms

In training for Christmas

La Forteresse - Chinon

This weekend signalled the start of the Christmas lead-up. Began Saturday night when some French friends came round for apéros at about 7pm. Lots of laughter and chatting till around 11pm. Unfortunately one of them had to work Sunday morning on the early shift. Not something to be envied. Mike had prepared virtually all the food. Very proud of him. Did a v.g.job. One of our friends also brought round a delicious savoury gateau. A really fun evening together over a few glasses of some lovely Vouvray, with the boys following on with some delicious red wine from Nicholas Pointeau. 

Sunday morning we headed into Chinon to meet our friend Sylvie for coffee. Quite chilly, but the small market was up and running and quite a few people were out and about. We dropped into Café de Arts and had a good natter with Sylvie, who lives the other side of Chinon with husband Jacques. Sylvie was at the concert we did last week, and was still talking about it this morning. Sunday evening were over in Chinon at L'Espace Rabelais to hear a Basque choir. A mixed programme of ancient songs and chants in the first half and more contemporary in the second. A big sound - about twenty-five strong.

Received a lovely invitation to spend Christmas Eve with neighbours and their family. In France 24 December is the important day and very much a family occasion. We'd made the decision to spend this first Christmas and New Year in France and have been finding out what does or doesn't happen, or what is or isn't open, so we could get some ideas together. Anyway our neighbours so generously invited us round, so that we could mark the season in a fun way. Extremely kind of them. There'll be about twelve of us - adults and children. Being a traditional meal we were wondering how best to contribute, so having discussed it with them, we'll be looking after the drinks and food for the apéro. Mike being the 'origami chef' makes terrific little savoury tartelettes, so he's doing some of those and we'll also make some mini mince pies, to take round. Really love for us to be doing this.

Monday we met a friend of ours, Marie-Michèle at a lovely restaurant - Les Quatre Vents, which is over in Ile de Bouchard. Very simple but so fresh and delicious. Lovely space. Husband and wife team. He's the chef and she covers the restaurant. Great pair. Got there around 12.30 and left around 3pm. They wanted to have a good chat. We ended up being the last to leave. Going back with M-M just before Christmas. Then yesterday we headed over early to Ikea at Tours, to get some Christmas decorations and few other bits and pieces. Having a tree this Christmas - probably the first real tree we've had in at least twenty-five years. So getting stupidly excited at the prospect. We had brought some small decorations over with us from the UK,  - so needed a few more for the tree. Still on the look out for general decorations. Having an apéro party with the neighbours at our place on Dec 14. Really looking forward to having everyone round. Getting all sorts of music sorted out, as we'll all be up for dancing and singing. Want the house to look very Christmassy!!!!

Women Are Heroes!

Title of a film we went to see last week. Once a year Cinéplus (who we support regularly through their Arthouse programming every Thursday and the film festival) and Chinon council host a documentary. This year the choice was a piece made in 2009 and was shown at the Cannes Film festival in 2010. The director was the French artist JR, specialising in photography, street art and graffiti. Women Are Heroes was JR's first film and took us into the various worlds of a series of exceptional women.  Exceptional, because the individuals we were introduced to, despite living in extreme poverty, being socially deprived, denied education, facing daily political upheaval, rape and sexual intimidation, tribal and civil warfare - somehow managed to hold themselves and their families together, frequently without the help of a husband. The men had died - meaning either disappeared in its most sinister context or were known to have been killed. The film travelled across different continents and countries  including India, Cambodia, Brazil, Kenya, Liberia, Sudan and into conditions which were extremely challenging, and in which somehow these women and their families survive.

JR. used his artistic skills to develop a photographic project, recording each woman's face, and a shot of their eyes in their home environment. The images were enormous. Posted up in each woman's town or village, they would cover the entire wall of a building, or a roof. The effect was dramatic, cutting through the surrounding squalor, to reveal individuals who for the most part were ignored and forgotten.  

The two film clips in the link show on the one hand, elements from the film and some interviews. The second shows the images as an exhibition in Paris along the Seine in 2009. Response is varied! Many interviewed simply loathed it, particularly when the images begin to fall apart, into tatty, smelly, dirty, ghastly strips of rubbish, which the women of course are surrounded by on a daily basis. It's difficult to find much information about the film. The internet reveals very little. In truth as one of the women said, the photography wasn't actually going to help change their situation, but  she at least no longer felt invisible.