Traveling abroad through film often the next best thing to being there
October 15, 2009
For me, there's truly NO PLACE like Paris. Its street life and energy is infectious -- and I got to travel there via the "big screen" earlier this week by catching "Paris" at a Chicago cinema.
I love this statue, which stands majestically in Place de la République, one of the most famous and busiest squares in Paris. This 19th century statue stands as a monument to the history of the French Republic.
I’m not usually a big moviegoer, but I am a sucker for a good foreign-language film. Yes, I’m a bit of a snob – I feel a bit smarter sitting and watching some artsy independent film rather than, say, “The Transformers” (not that there’s anything wrong with that if you liked it!). But since I don’t get overseas nearly as often as I’d like, I figure forking over $10 or $11 for a two-hour onscreen journey into another culture is a fair price to pay.
Knowing how passionate I am about overseas travel, friends and colleagues constantly quiz me: “So where’s your next foreign trip? I know you’re on your way somewhere.” For the first time in a long time, I’m staying put—mostly because I’m out of vacation time and am forcing myself to stick to a serious budget (for reasons I will share in this blog before too long, I hope). But that doesn’t mean I’m willing to give up globetrotting. Instead, I’m doing it right here in Chicago—no passport, visas or trips to O’Hare International Airport required—and am traveling by way of the big screen.
Just this week, I checked out “Paris,” a lovely, wonderfully written film starring Juliette Binoche that was shot—of course—in Paris, my absolute FAVORITE city in the entire world and the one place I’d happily live if told I could never go anywhere else for the rest of my life.
For me, this was two hours of latte-sipping bliss, watching the film’s characters stroll the city’s picturesque streets; hang out in its cafés, stand in its apartments and gaze down at the beautifully laid out streets below. The film showed the interconnectedness of a wide range of Parisians (and Africans across the sea), making clear that sometimes “real life” is more dramatic than anything we can imagine. Of course, the film made me long desperately for Paris, to buy some extra American Airlines frequent-flyer miles to top off my account so I can fly there later this year.
But in lieu of dashing off to O’Hare to catch a flight after the film, I treated myself—as I often do when I go to see a French-themed film—to an early dinner at La Creperie, a cozy bistro-like hideaway just across the street from the Landmark Century Centre Cinema. A favorite spot of mine that’s been owned for nearly 40 years by a French-American couple, it gives me a way to extend my would-be French experience for another hour or two, complete with a great glass of vin blanc and an incredible savory crepe of chicken, goat cheese and tomatoes.
No matter where you live, you can travel the globe without going far from home. If you don’t live in a big metropolis with great artsy movie houses like the previously mentioned Landmark Century Centre Cinema or Facets Multimedia on Chicago’s North Side, or the Gene Siskel Film Center in downtown Chicago, you can still rent foreign films from Netflix or Blockbuster, literally bringing the world to your door. (But if you DO live in the Windy City, the Chicago International Film Festival plays on through Oct. 22, allowing moviegoers to feast on films from Argentina to Kazakhstan to Uruguay and tons of places in-between.)
And that’s a whole lot cheaper than an airline ticket somewhere around the world, even if it’s not quite the same (or as much fun) as being there.
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10 Comments Leave a Comment
1.
Cynthia | October 15, 2009 at 9:19 am
I wish I could satiate my wanderlust that way. I have no other choice at the moment but I’m with you on budgeting and hankering down. I’m planning to move next year.
I do want to know what you are budgeting for but I’m nosey like that.
2.
urbantravelgirl | October 15, 2009 at 9:55 am
Ciao, Cynthia! You’ll have to stay tuned to UrbanTravelGirl to find out about the budget goal! LOL (I’m with you… I’m nosy, too, so that’s what I get for putting it out there.) That’s why living vicariously through movies in foreign locales are the way to go until you’re able to make that move — or at least take that vacation!
Maureen
3.
Donna | October 21, 2009 at 3:32 am
Thanks for reminding me about foreign films, Cynthia. I absolutely adore them and you’re right about needing to budget. My wanderlust was growing faster than my bank account so I too have had to forego a trip to Italy for at least another year. Thankfully, I do live in a big city (Los Angeles) and have access to foreign films and decent theater.
I also go to foreign restaurants so I can get a feel of being there without paying full price. My husband and I often go to a British tea house or pub so he can indulge in his childhood favorites or to watch a football (soccer) match. We pick up British newspapers so he can feel connected to home. I read them because I’m fascinated with learning about other cultures.
Foreign films and restaurants are good enough substitutes for the cash-strapped traveler while we are saving for our next adventure.
4.
urbantravelgirl | October 21, 2009 at 6:05 am
Donna, thank YOU for the reminder about connecting to foreign cultures at home by keeping up with publications based abroad! Keeping up with football (soccer) games — as well as tuning into cable or satellite TV stations broadcast from other countries — is a reasonable and often educational way to not only feel connected to foreign cultures but to pick up some language skills, too! (We often hear of immigrants to the States say they learned English by watching our crazy TV shows and movies!)
Maureen
5.
kellyecarter | October 22, 2009 at 10:28 am
Had to chuckle at the line about Transformers. One of our sorors, and one of my dearest friends since we pledged together, is the biggest Transformers fan. I can’t imagine her going to see a film like Paris but you’ve made me want to see it, although I’ll leave the theater depressed that I’m not still living in Italy, sipping Chianti, eating pasta and flirting with the ragazzi. Sigh.
6.
urbantravelgirl | October 22, 2009 at 11:02 am
Sorry to offend you “Transformers” fans out there, including our Delta soror who loves it! LOL I started to include “G.I. Joe” in my example, but figured I’d tick off TWO groups of people instead of just one.
But seriously… I think anyone who loves Paris will love this movie because it just feels REAL. You see the gritty street markets, not just the ritzy hotels and arrondisements. And it SERIOUSLY made me want to run out of the theater and hop the El to O’Hare… so I had to make do with French crepes, instead. We citizens of the world must find fulfillment where we can, no?
Maureen
7.
kellyecarter | October 22, 2009 at 11:13 am
And of course I’ve never seen the gritty side of Paris. Makes me want to see the movie even more because I know there is life outside of George V and L’Avenue restaurant. LOL!
8.
urbantravelgirl | October 22, 2009 at 11:20 am
I guess I’m such a diehard Paris-lover and Francophile that even the gritty parts of Paris — like the monstrous Chatelet-Les Halles Metro station — is beautiful to me. I REALLY sound like I need a vacation, don’t I?
9.
Ebony_Jewel | October 24, 2009 at 10:14 pm
That first picture made me miss Paris so much! I LOVED it there & want to go back next summer!
I unfortunately don’t live in a big city, so we have no decent theater, but I travel for a living & have visited many big cities. I haven’t seen many foreign films though because I work so much!
10.
urbantravelgirl | October 24, 2009 at 11:29 pm
Salut, Ebony Jewel! Yes, I’m with you — looking at my pictures from Paris makes ME miss and crave it, too!! There are many wonderful cities in the world, but truly no place like Paris. I swear, the next time I go I might just disappear into the underground and never leave!!!
Not sure where you live, but as I mentioned, Netflix is a godsend when it comes to foreign films. But I’ve got one of theirs sitting on my coffee table where it’s been for the past month because like you, I haven’t had time to watch it. Here’s wishing both of us more time for our foreign-film pursuits!
Maureen
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