Cannes Film Festival 2006 - Quand J'Etais Chanteur (The Singer)

Ask a stranger on the street to name a French actor, and odds are pretty good you'll hear the name Gerard Depardieu (or perhaps Jean Reno). He is also no stranger to the film festival. His first appearance was in 1976 with Robert DeNiro, Burt Lancaster and Donald Sutherland for Novecento, called 1900 in the States.

Shoot, Depardieu is in two festival films this year alone (his 17th appearance at the festival), Paris, Je T'Aime and today's screening of Quand J'Etais Chanteur (The Singer). The movie is about a young woman who meets a dance hall singer. During a press conference on the film, Depardieu said of his character: "He's somebody who sings to please and make people dance. In France, every Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon, there are tea dances, popular balls where people like listening to songs which make them feel good ... As Louis Jouvet said: 'diction entails feeling'. Well, it's the same for singers. They can't show any sign of derision when they sing, because they would be totally unable to hold the note."

Don't miss out on the Cannes Film Festival finale weekend. See my daily blog and visit my main Cannes Film Festival 2006 page.

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