Marielle Plaisir is one of three artists being featured by The Baker Museum of Art in its 12th Annual Florida Contemporary exhibition The Miami-based French Caribbean artist is known for “backlits,” which are light boxes that contain as many as 40 layers of multi-dimensional design and pattern Executive Director Courtney McNeil said their theme is especially timely “Marielle is interested in ideas around the legacies of colonialism in this country and questioning and exploring the effects of these forces on society today,” McNeil said “So she tackles really weighty themes in her work but she is a relentless optimist in the end and has such beautiful faith in humanity and in the ability of love and compassion to transcend that I find her work incredibly uplifting.” Plaisir created a new branch of work for “Florida Contemporary” – painted poles representing flags There’s one for every nation on the planet They lean against the walls of the gallery “I think of John Lennon’s ‘Imagine,’” McNeil said I think she’s trying to think about where our allegiances lie and where we put our care and our priority.” Plaisir will join fellow exhibitors Amer Kobaslija and Cynthia Mason for a panel discussion on April 18 "Florida Contemporary" is on view through June 29 Marielle Plaisir titles her exhibition “Rhapsody for a Beloved World.” She includes in it examples from several distinct bodies of work inspired by her exploration of her French Caribbean heritage and her personal reckoning with the enduring legacies of colonialism Plaisir combines paint and collage on plexiglass They are lighted from behind by means of an embedded light source Plaisir’s installation also includes works from her “Strange Fruits” series The title for the series references Billie Holiday’s Jim Crow-era song that protested the lynchings of Black Americans Black Blood” series democratize the trappings of European portraiture which were originally reserved for the wealthy and powerful Plaisir is staunchly optimistic about the future “I place love and gentleness at the heart of my practice,” Plaisir said “It’s a bit old-fashioned to talk about love we do not build anything together; we don’t recognize the other as our equal 1978) is a French Caribbean artist whose multimedia work includes sculpture Plaisir’s work critically examines power structures and fractured identity while also celebrating humanity’s interconnectedness and conveying hope for a better future She has held artist residencies at Oolite Arts She was awarded the gold medal in two international biennials: at the 2004 International Biennial of Santo Domingo and at the 2008 International Biennial of Sao Paulo Plaisir’s work can be found in the permanent collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami; the Gregg Museum of Art France; and the Museum of Contemporary Art She studied at the University of Bordeaux III and the Honors Advanced School of Fine Art and Decorative Arts of Bordeaux Read WGCU.org for more on “Florida Contemporary.” The Baker Museum is located at 5833 Pelican Bay Boulevard in Naples The Baker Museum is the foremost fine art museum in Southwest Florida the museum hosts several traveling exhibitions annually to complement installations of works from its permanent collections The Baker Museum provides world-class exhibitions and educational opportunities for Southwest Florida’s diverse community art historian and museum leader with more than two decades of museum and gallery experience The 2024-25 season is her fifth season with Artis Naples as museum director and chief curator artistic vision and strategic direction for The Baker Museum crafting a vibrant curatorial program that highlights the unique multidisciplinary nature of the organization McNeil served 15 years in the curatorial department of Telfair Museums in Savannah ultimately holding the title of chief curator and deputy director for curatorial affairs she was responsible for overseeing all of the museum’s programmatic activities at the organization’s three distinct sites McNeil held positions at Childs Gallery in Boston where she specialized in American painting and works on paper and in the publications department of the National Gallery McNeil has a proven record of championing projects that complicate traditional art historical narratives in order to provide audiences with opportunities for authentic engagement and conversation around the most vital issues of our time She specializes in aligning the activities of the exhibitions collections and education teams and implementing data-driven approaches in order to fulfill strategic goals She has curated and co-curated a broad range of exhibitions Her exhibitions have been recognized regionally and nationally with awards and grants from organizations including the Southeastern Museums Conference the Florida Association of Museums and the Terra Foundation for American Art in English with a minor in art history from Georgetown University and an M.A in the history of art from The Courtauld Institute of Art in London where she authored her dissertation on John Singleton Copley’s monumental painting “The Siege of Gibraltar.” She also earned an executive certificate in nonprofit leadership and management from the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business FAD Magazine FAD Magazine covers contemporary art – News Exhibitions and Interviews reported on from London Château Plaisir is the enticing title of the fifth collaboration between The Artist Formerly Known As Robert Rubbish and antiques and interiors entrepreneur James Jackson.  Once again hosted at Jackson’s west London atelier the forthcoming exhibition of Rubbish’s fabulist works consolidates the art and interiors exchange that has been conducted between the two since TAFKARR’s first show in the space in Fulham in 2019.  I told Robert that I was his worst possible bet in terms of staging a show,’ recalls Jackson bluntly ‘I said: “I  know almost nothing about contemporary art and even less about selling it but I think your art is great and you’re not so dusty yourself.”’  Their shared humour and delight in each other’s practices has resulted in Rubbish considering how his artworks will interact with the furniture and objects sourced by Jackson for his shop when embarking on a new project.  That this approach is paying dividends is evident in admiration from such customers of Jackson’s as the rug carpet and textile designer Christine Vanderhurd who owns a work from a previous show at Jackson’s featuring Rubbish’s idiosyncratic juxtapositions of art design and pop cultural figures from the past.  ‘I fell completely in love with it,’ says Vanderhurd ‘There are some of the most recognisable artists from the 1920s and 30s – Cocteau Salvador and Gala Dali – as well as the queen of fashion Elsa Schiaparelli as the central character who inspired Robert’s piece I was instantly drawn to the humour of the topic the clarity of the jewel-like colours such as ruby Named after a 1970s nightclub Rubbish recalls from his childhood in Jersey Château Plaisir presents a fantastical alternative history of the venue time-slipping through decades and featuring a surprising panoply of appearances from the British pop/funk group Hot Chocolate and members of Britain’s New Romantic movement to the Parisian jet set dandy siblings Xavier and Jacques du Bascher and ‘The Crocodile’ of tennis, Jean René Lacoste.  ‘Château Plaisir is mixed from my memories of speculating about the club in Jersey as a child with my recent experiences of visiting Jim and his partner Andrew at their château in Bordeaux and then filtered through my imagination about the possibilities of what could have occurred in such a place,’ says Rubbish.  Robert Rubbish, Château Plaisir May 1st–11th 2025 James Jackson  James Jackson was a specialist in the Asian Arts department of Christies before opening his shop in 2003.  Robert Rubbish is a UK-based artist and a founder of art collective Le Gun Mark Westall is the Founder and Editor of FAD magazine - A new Robert Rubbish exhibition has opened in Fulham The exhibition features a selection of works from previous exhibitions L’Angle du Hasard Named after a fictional Paris head shop in Jacques Rivette’s 12 hour film OUT 1 Rough Trade Books has just released The ‘ART’ Series a series of Pamphlet books and a Card Game - ‘Journeys To The Centre Of The Universe’ is the final show in a four year project called ‘Spiritus Soho’ where Artist Robert Rubbish has produced a body of Artwork that explores the people and places of Soho’s rich history Join the FAD newsletter and get the latest news and articles straight to your inbox Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker He was best known for the Julien Lepers-penned hit Pour le plaisir... Singer Herbert Léonard died on Sunday March 2, 2025 at the age of 80 from lung cancer. The announcement was made by his wife, Cléo Léonard, toAFP where he had been hospitalized for some time he had left his mark on the French chanson scene with a style inspired by American crooners Born in Strasbourg in 1945 under the nameHubert Lœnhard Herbert Léonard first made a name for himself in rock before turning to French variety he achieved national popularity in 1981 with Pour le plaisir which went on to sell over 2.5 million copies Herbert Léonard was also known for having sung the theme song for the Châteauvallon series His career was marked by several interruptions notably after a serious car accident in 1969 which kept him away from the stage for a year Herbert Léonard also had a passion for aviation, which led him to write several specialist works on Soviet fighter planes. He had also taken part in nostalgic tours such as Âge tendre et tête de bois and played the character of Frollo in the musical Notre-Dame de Paris he had already suffered a pulmonary embolism but had returned to music in 2014 with his last album including that of Culture Minister Rachida Dati who hailed on X: "By singing of love with passion Herbert Léonard left his mark on an entire generation" This page may contain AI-assisted elements, more information here Refer your establishment, click herePromote your event, click here thanks for joining us in the virtual RGM lounge today What made you decide that music is a thing for you Music to me is a desire to push the boundaries of creativity by integrating technological elements like AI music is a limitless medium of expression that allows me to connect with myself and my audience in deeply meaningful ways and deliver quality music Introduce us to you all and your musical history Being a person who loves good rock music like Tokio Hotel I decided to write down the thoughts that are running through my head to make music and offer very good quality music I’ve seen a lot of people struggling for support recently online People must learn to use new technologies and not be afraid of them people must adapt otherwise they risk having difficulties using them anyone can express themselves by writing a musical text Where do you feel you currently sit within the music industry I released my EP “Catastrophe Automatique” with the help of Ditto who did a great job distributing my music on online platforms I believe in the harmonious fusion of human creativity and artificial intelligence and I am proud to be part of the pioneers of this musical revolution Do you ever worry about people taking things the wrong way or cancel culture The issue of perception and cancel culture is indeed a complex and timely topic I am very aware of the impact of my words and actions as public perception can be influenced by many factors Cancel culture can be a double-edged sword it allows people to be held accountable for unacceptable behavior it can lead to hasty judgments and disproportionate reactions sometimes based on misunderstandings or miscommunications I remain committed to expressing myself authentically while being respectful and responsible I believe that music can be a positive force for dialogue and change Conspiracy theories often lack solid evidence They can harm society by sowing division and distracting from real issues Tell us something about you that you think people would be surprised about.  Something that might surprise people about me is my knowledge of computers when I talk about computer processor technology for example my friends are speechless when I explain to them the weights that I am able to work they are speechless What are the next steps you plan to take as a band to reach the next level I am currently working on an upcoming album I will be intensifying the online presence of my music on social media platforms and launching creative marketing campaigns to reach a wider audience of course my EP is inspired by the incessant news of natural disasters and global unrest My first three tracks “Catastrophe Automatique” “La Fuite” “Un Monde Nausséabonde” delve into the themes of escape and disillusionment The other two tracks “Ça Danse” and “Pote Pop Pop” are in stark contrast conveying a message to live every moment to the fullest with friends and family the sentences that come to mind and then try to assemble them to give meaning to the whole text The second step is to generate the tracks with AI and then I select the track that suits me best for my texts in order to guarantee the musical quality make my music listen to my entourage to have comments on my music in order to improve it What was the biggest learning curve in writing the new tunes The biggest learning curve was knowing how to use AI to help my music creations at first it wasn’t easy then I got used to it I still have a lot of things to learn like promoting my music on social media Would you change anything now it’s finished Is there anything else you would like to share with the world What I would like to share with the world is the importance of innovation and open-mindedness and it is by embracing these changes that we can truly create something new and inspiring there is always a place for you on this creative journey starts with a spark of curiosity and desire to discover FOLLOW THEM ON INSTAGRAM // FACEBOOK 🇫🇷 FOR MORE NEW MUSIC NEWS FROM FRANCE CHECK OUT RGM FRANCE 🇫🇷 was in her family’s kitchen in Port-au-Prince She doesn’t remember much but does recall hiding under the table and calling out to her father went to Haiti’s countryside to live with her grandparents they gathered the necessary documentation to immigrate to the U.S The family then found themselves in New York City where Plaisir’s aunt lived They stayed there until they had some footing of their own hoping to collect pieces of their life and reunite with them as soon as possible especially because none of us could speak the language here,” says Raina by watching TV and looking through books.” Although the transition was difficult for her Plaisir recognizes the incredible weight her mother carried—and how hard she worked to help Plaisir and her brother assimilate to their new environment “My mother signed us up for everything from free afterschool programs to extracurricular activities,” she says Plaisir is a first-generation student at the University of Rochester she’s planning to go to medical school and Her love of science and the arts brought her to the University Plaisir wasn’t always as outgoing as she is now A middle school drama teacher noticed how shy she was and encouraged her to try out for the school play “She convinced me to do something that I never thought I could do,” she adds “I loved it and the way I felt after that performance I ended up being in every middle school production.” that same teacher suggested to Raina that she apply to LaGuardia High School the performing arts school featured in the 1980’s TV show Going there was the best decision for Plaisir and it cemented her passion for performance Her favorite roles were as Blanche in The Streetcar Named Desire and as Elmire in Tartuffe a French playwright and contemporary of Shakespeare’s In the spring of her senior year in high school Since then—even from her University dorm room she’s been memorizing lines and sending in video auditions for a variety of roles from an HBO special to a Netflix production to a New York City Theater Workshop program she’ll audition for winter and spring productions presented by the International Theatre Program She also joined MAPS (Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students) which serves minority groups that are underrepresented in the medical field Plaisir also recently attended a “Her Campus” general interest meeting a club that focuses on issues and opportunities for women Plaisir passes the time with friends at the Pit in Wilson Commons and writing reviews of her favorite articles “I like to read articles in magazines and newspapers and then I write my response to each one,” she says. “For instance, I did that with an Atlantic article entitled ‘How America Fractured in Four Parts.’ I related it to what I’ve learned about how U.S I also recently wrote pieces based on the novel I just do this for myself because I think it’s fun.” Plaisir recalls one of her best days at college so far my friends and I went to Tai Chi Bubble Tea in College Town,” she says got out our various assignments and just started diving into them I looked around at each one of us and thought ‘here we are taking on life together.’ It was an eye-opening moment for me College wouldn’t be possible for Plaisir without financial aid which includes being a recipient of the Women’s Network Scholarship “Being a Women’s Network Scholar means that I’m gifted the opportunity to do incredible things “The women behind this scholarship forged theirs and I am so grateful—I want to learn from them all 2020Fueled by an entrepreneurial spirit and a love of music Jervel Plaisir ’20GCCPS is working to provide developing artists and performers with a unique platform to present their music to the world Unlike streaming giants such as Spotify and Apple Music major labels or agencies that typically only promote a select few musicians.  Jervel’s interest in fledgling artists dates back to high school when he first felt a real connection to their music “As I got closer to graduating high school and moved on to college I found myself listening to many local and budding artists,” the native of Valley Stream “Their stories and emotion resonated with me at a much deeper level than mainstream music.” He soon discovered that many of his go-to websites and streaming services pivoted toward mainstream artists since record labels and management often influenced which artists were showcased.  “I finally got frustrated with the lack of support these artists receive,” he said Jervel’s solution was to create his own streaming service originates from how rapidly new music is released ‘Be Heard,’ originated from our mission and passion We will provide those in need with a platform to be seen “My field of interest was marketing, entertainment, and music, and these industries are primarily located in New York or Los Angeles,” he said. “Since St. John’s is only 30 minutes from the city, I was able to intern at the world’s biggest record label, Atlantic Records.”  and was involved in extracurricular activities Throughout his time at St. John’s, Jervel received advice and encouragement from Associate Professor Luca Iandoli “I was still in the predevelopment phase at that point so his excitement for my idea encouraged me to see who else would feel the same about Wave.” “Jervel was a brilliant student who is pursuing his entrepreneurial dream of starting Wave,” said Professor Iandoli “I had the opportunity to work with him and collaborate with some of my students to develop the platform.”  Inspired by Professor Iandoli and eager to gauge the viability of Wave from a business perspective Jervel entered the Pitch Johnny competition in 2019 where he and other contestants were given three minutes to pitch their ideas to judges.  “I created a storyline about my business without any visuals,” he said “I had to evoke emotions through a story while providing information that would entice a group of voters It forced me to be the Chief Executive Officer I call myself.” The process served as a valuable lesson in entrepreneurship.  I learned to focus on the ‘why’ and not just the ‘how’ of pitching and selling,” he said “When you can connect with the audience and tell them the story Hours after the competition, Jervel boarded a flight to the Netherlands, where he joined more than 900 other international students at Global Entrepreneurship Week Jervel was part of a team of other young entrepreneurs at the Wicked Ideation Battle Rotterdam challenge and took home top honors for a pitch that focused on transforming the education of entrepreneurs.  “The time that I spent with my peers and fellow competitors confirmed that we are the future,” he said Today, as he prepares to launch Wave in late 2020 or early 2021, Jervel works as a media planner at Gamut. Smart Media from Cox in Manhattan “Developing a brand and working eight or more hours daily in a full-time role can be draining,” he said “Sleep is not something I get in large quantities.”  Even though he is only months removed from being a student himself Jervel is eager to share what he has learned with tomorrow’s entrepreneurs He employs a number of student interns from St John’s who focus on social media marketing and outreach and has been a guest speaker at the University “I plan to use what I know to continue my endeavors while I help others build paths of their own,” he said “I am happy to pass along my knowledge to those who desire to start something for themselves.” “Jervel is an outstanding young entrepreneur and wisely took advantage of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship classes and activities here at St. John’s,” said Kevin James ’11C, ’13MBA “He is now becoming a young mentor to current students who are following in his footsteps Innovation and Entrepreneurship course with an early demo of Wave St. John’s University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, actual or potential parental, family, or marital status, pregnancy and related conditions, disability, or age in its programs and activities. The Office of Equal Opportunity and Compliance, [email protected] has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies « Back Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time What happens when America’s pre-eminent documentary filmmaker visits a three-Michelin-star restaurant in central France One of the most fascinating fly-on-the-wall films in recent memory constructed from around 150 hours of raw footage the 95-year-old producer/director of more than 40 documentaries including The Store (1983) about the flagship Neiman-Marcus department store in Dallas; Missile (1988) about the Air Force staff running America’s ballistic missile program; and National Gallery (2014) about the workings of London’s National Gallery The restaurant is Le Bois sans feuilles (The Leafless Forest) in the Loire Valley: an institution of the culinary world And the film is Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troisgros a four-hour epic that interrogates the art and performance of fine dining had been cooped up in Burgundy during the COVID years he invited them out for some haute cuisine and checked out the Michelin guide It steered them towards Le Bois sans feuilles a couple of hours’ drive away in the idyllic Ouches region where the prices range upward from €300 per head ($494 – ouches head chef César Troisgros popped by their table for a chat and Wiseman found himself wondering out loud if it would be possible for him to make a film about the place who checked the filmmaker out on Wikipedia Wiseman’s four-person crew arrived to begin what turned out to be a seven-week shoot In line with the fly-on-the-wall approach for which the director has become famous following the Troisgros team going about its business We see the chefs buying and gathering produce preparing meals in the vast kitchens and serving them in the superbly outfitted dining-room with its floor-to-ceiling windows looking out on verdant surrounds There are worse places to be a fly on the wall We visit other locations including the hotel attached to the restaurant and other ventures owned by the family – such as La Colline du Colombier Wiseman method is to drop us into these locations and let us sort things out for ourselves guided only by the way he has cut his footage together narration or captions identifying people or places he never gives any direction to those he’s filming Wiseman describes his films as “voyages of discovery” his films are always “voyages of discovery” They take their time and they require patience about the intensive care unit at Boston’s Beth Israel Hospital Menus-Plaisirs is punctuated by shots of real and most of the conversations are about how it might best be presented to customers There are long takes of waiters speaking to diners about the meals of the sommelier advising about wine choices of the fromager pitching the splendours on offer from his super-abundant cheese trolley of chefs dropping by at tables to catch up with regulars or to make newcomers feel welcome Though the people who frequent these places are obviously not from the working classes it becomes apparent that many of those who work there might be Wiseman has fashioned a very modern portrait of a service industry centred on high-quality food Pervading it all is the notion that dining is akin to a theatrical performance with everyone involved putting on a show of one kind or another This is most apparent in the contrast between Le Bois sans feuilles’ very formal upmarket style and the more relaxed air that prevails at La Colline putting on particular kinds of costume to suit the formal or informal tone It’s equally evident in the uniforms the staff wear the way they talk to their guests and to each other but the presence of a camera only underlines the performative aspects of the entire process but everyone can’t help but be aware of it and act in line with what they think their roles require Wiseman even takes us behind the scenes to observe a training session where the waiters are instructed on the “codes of conduct” dictating how they should act when dealing with each other and the diners It’s also worth noting that neither restaurant is plagued by the piped music that some poor souls in the business mistake for “atmosphere” The film’s soundtrack comes from the warm hum of conversation in the background the sounds (and silences) of people at work or the twittering of birds in the natural surrounds The toque-topped kitchen staff at Le Bois sans feuilles all go about their assignments with a quiet determination that underlines their dedication to their mission in life they’re outwardly respectful when their superiors in the culinary hierarchy express disapproval of their endeavours Being there to learn is the governing principle but the kitchen at La Colline seems a much happier workplace to acquire an education than the one at Le Bois sans feuilles He enables us to see the funny side of it all – the diners whose eyes seem to be glazing over as the sommelier’s spiel threatens to spiral out of control the American businessman who theatrically swirls his wine over and over before nodding a knowing assent – but he also appreciates the artistic impulses involved in creating it Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troisgros is streaming on DocPlay now Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday What happens when America\\u2019s pre-eminent documentary filmmaker visits a three-Michelin-star restaurant in central France about the Air Force staff running America\\u2019s ballistic missile program; and National Gallery (2014) about the workings of London\\u2019s National Gallery And the film is Menus-Plaisirs \\u2013 Les Troisgros a couple of hours\\u2019 drive away in the idyllic Ouches region where the prices range upward from \\u20AC300 per head ($494 \\u2013 ouches head chef C\\u00E9sar Troisgros popped by their table for a chat and Wiseman found himself wondering out loud if it would be possible for him to make a film about the place Wiseman\\u2019s four-person crew arrived to begin what turned out to be a seven-week shoot We visit other locations including the hotel attached to the restaurant and other ventures owned by the family \\u2013 such as La Colline du Colombier he never gives any direction to those he\\u2019s filming his films are always \\u201Cvoyages of discovery\\u201D about the intensive care unit at Boston\\u2019s Beth Israel Hospital This is most apparent in the contrast between Le Bois sans feuilles\\u2019 very formal It\\u2019s equally evident in the uniforms the staff wear but everyone can\\u2019t help but be aware of it and act in line with what they think their roles require Wiseman even takes us behind the scenes to observe a training session where the waiters are instructed on the \\u201Ccodes of conduct\\u201D dictating how they should act when dealing with each other and the diners It\\u2019s also worth noting that neither restaurant is plagued by the piped music that some poor souls in the business mistake for \\u201Catmosphere\\u201D The film\\u2019s soundtrack comes from the warm hum of conversation in the background they\\u2019re outwardly respectful when their superiors in the culinary hierarchy express disapproval of their endeavours He enables us to see the funny side of it all \\u2013 the diners whose eyes seem to be glazing over as the sommelier\\u2019s spiel threatens to spiral out of control before nodding a knowing assent \\u2013 but he also appreciates the artistic impulses involved in creating it Menus-Plaisirs \\u2013 Les Troisgros is streaming on DocPlay now streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. A care home provider teamed up with the charity Parkinson’s Poole to stage a Parisian café-style community tea dance raising more than £1,000 to help people with the condition Around 150 people enjoyed the Gallic-themed fun at St George’s Church Hall in Poole which was organised and staffed by Colten Care The afternoon featured traditional French songs performed live on accordion guitar and double bass by costumed New Milton group Café Mondial partygoers sampled cakes and other patisserie delights specially made for the occasion by expert Colten Care chefs As well as many guests with personal connections to Parkinson’s Poole attendees included dozens of residents from seven Colten Care homes whose husband Bob is chair of Poole & District Parkinson’s Group said she was delighted to find that one of the Colten Care residents “I can’t have seen her for over 60 years,” said Lindsey It was the second community dance that Colten Care have organised in partnership with Parkinson’s groups Last year residents and staff from five homes in the New Forest came together in Boldre near Lymington for a similar French-style event that raised more than £700 for the charity’s New Forest branch The latest dance was planned through close work over several months between Bob and Martin Corrigan Martin said: “The New Forest event inspired me to lead the charge to do the same for our Bournemouth and Poole homes who lives with Parkinson’s himself and is a huge inspiration Given that 150,000 people in the UK live with Parkinson’s and it is the fastest growing neurological disease we’re thrilled that the funds we’ve help to raise will make a much-needed difference and be well received.” Bob said: “Following an invite to talk at one of The Aldbury’s business breakfast clubs me and Martin worked closely together to bring the idea to fruition The aim of all of our events is to create an uplifting community for those living with the disease The money raised at this event will be used to support people with Parkinson’s living locally We have a small committee of people who give up their time for nothing I want to say a huge thank you to Martin and the team at Colten Care for making this event happen.” along with highlights of the latest sector news and more from The Carer delivered directly to your inbox twice a week The Carer is published by RBC Publishing Ltd Contributions are welcome for consideration no responsibility will be accepted for loss or damage Views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editorial team Whilst every care is taken to ensure accuracy the publisher will assume no responsibility for any effects All material is assumed copyright free unless otherwise advised Never see this message again. Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application 1965 to the late François Homère & Meliène Benjamin and finally settled in new Hampshire for the rest of her life She was a devoted homemaker who poured her heart and soul into creating a warm and loving home for her family Derlite's passion for cooking traditional Haitian cuisine was unmatched and she delighted in preparing delicious meals that brought joy and nourishment to her loved ones Her children held a special place in her heart Derlite will be remembered for her love of God singing and dancing with friends and family She was a beautiful person who will be deeply missed by all whose lives she touched Derlite has joined her son Gamaniel Plaisir in heaven She is survived by her son Giordany Plaisir daughter Sophia Plaisir; sister Marise Homère; brother Jean Sony Homère; sister Marie Françoise Homère; brother Jean-Marc Homère; brother Johnny Homère; brother Pierre Constant; cousin Anne Marie Homère; brother-in-law Raynold Plaisir; nephews Jean Richard Junior Plaisir & Reginald; nieces Patricia & Christa Plaisir; as well as many extended family members and friends Calling hours for Derlite will be held on Friday with a service beginning at 5:00 PM at Phaneuf Funeral Homes knowing that your legacy lives on through the traditions you cherished and the love you bestowed upon your family You will be deeply missed and forever remembered Phaneuf Funeral Homes & Crematorium - Hanover Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Your Ads Privacy ChoicesIMDb in the town of Plaisir as its name suggests 2024 at the Mon Grand Plaisir shopping center in Plaisir (Yvelines) to mark the Fête de la Musique The shopping center in Plaisir will welcome French rap star La Fouine this Friday DJ Seven and dancers Madez Fam also take to the stage The center also promises a number of surprises throughout the evening A native of Trappes, La Fouine, whose real name is Laouni Mouhid, returns from time to time to his neighborhood, the Square Georges-Sand. To mark the 20th anniversary of his career, La F ouine will also take to the stage at theAccor Arena in Paris on April 8 and 9, 2025 La Fouine has left his mark on the French musical landscape with his unique style blending rap and catchy melodies quickly established him as a rising star on the French rap scene he has enjoyed a string of successes with albums such as "Aller-Retour" (2007) La Fouine has also made forays into film and television With several gold and platinum discs to his credit To attend this free concert, come to Mon Grand Plaisir This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Away from the city's commercial centers, the Château de Plaisir park in the Yvelines is a haven of peace and greenery inviting you to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of the city this emblematic site boasts a remarkable history and architectural setting reflecting the different eras of its existence the estate has reinvented itself to become a privileged cultural and leisure area Château de Plaisir is a 17th-century architectural gem marked by the imprint of the Le Tellier family and successive owners until its acquisition by the town with its solid oak shutters and majestic staircases and the 18th-century additions made under the direction of the Le Tellier family bear witness to the rich history of the site The agricultural outbuildings and two lower wings added in the 18th century further enrich the ensemble offering a unique insight into the lifestyle of the period After devoting efforts to restoring Saint-Pierre church developing the square and renaturating its park the town of Plaisir decided to undertake renovation work on the Château de Plaisir and its dovecote This initiative follows a series of rigorous preliminary studies to establish an exhaustive diagnosis of these emblematic buildings marking the final phase of a vast project to enhance the commune's historic heritage The recent renaturation of the Château de Plaisir park marks a turning point in the enhancement of this green heritage the restoration has restored the park's French garden appearance The replanting of around a hundred lime trees along the avenues and the creation of planted banks around the pond breathe new life into this historic landscape The creation of the Pierre André Lablaude square and the restoration of the historic gates and portals underline the town's commitment to preserving its heritage the château and its grounds have become an essential cultural and living space renamed in honor of a prominent member of the Comédie Française regularly hosts a variety of cultural events The proximity of the conservatory further enriches the estate's cultural offering discovery evenings and the services of the nearby media library The Château de Plaisir park offers a wide range of activities to make the most of this exceptional setting Lovers of relaxation will find plenty to do here while the more sporty can get their exercise on the 3.5 km-long fitness trail which offers ten stations with a variety of apparatus Walking and hiking trails invite you to discover the natural beauty of the park In short, the Parc du Château de Plaisir, which is open to all free of charge all year round, represents a veritable green bubble in the heart of the Yvelines culture and nature meet to offer us a lovely Wiseman discusses how his latest documentary relates to frequent fascinations in his work a look inside the operations of a Michelin-starred restaurant in central France His camera tracks all the different people and places needed to keep La Maison Troisgros such a culinary powerhouse Wiseman’s stint observing the operations fortuitously overlaps with a period of introspection among the ownership as head chef Michel begins to contemplate passing the baton to his sons César and Léo The food is just the entry point for four hours of rich details which the filmmaker synthesizes across an expansive canvas to tell a grander story about families and ecosystems I caught up with Wiseman shortly after Menus-Plaisirs Les Troisgros played at the New York Film Festival Our conversation covered how his latest documentary relates to frequent fascinations in his work where he sees similarities to his performance-related documentaries and why he decided on a “farm-to-table” narrative progression to tie the footage together and I found that one of the hardest parts of my job was making the food look good when you train a camera on it Did you find any difficulties in filming the food on a practical level Les Troisgros were very concerned about the presentation Usually either Michel or César inspected every plate before it was brought to the dining room They were concerned about the shape and the color Do you see a connection between their artistry and your own I think the similarities are among all the forms You have to try and find a form to give expression to your thought and abstractions exist no matter what you’re doing Did you see at all the connection between some of the performance-based documentaries you’ve done in the backstage of the kitchen and the front stage of serving the guests I think Les Troisgros are involved the same issues that I’m involved in The way in which you’re depicting the repetitive task of preparing the meals is different each time How did you determine the way of showing that process It resembles the film I did about La Comédie Française [1996’s La Comédie-Française ou L’amour joué] or the ballet films in the sense that not only was it ephemeral but I could shoot it because it was repetitive and then go back the next night or a few nights later and shoot it a different way And then you just decide to use one of the nights or figure out ways of intercutting it That’s very different than what goes on when you do film set in a welfare center because it just happens once or if I didn’t feel I had enough close-ups or wide shots I [knew] I could go back and do it in the same way I could go back to ballet rehearsal or a performance Is that liberating as a filmmaker to know you have second chances did you find there was a choreography of the way that bodies are moving through the space in the kitchen because they move very fast and didn’t talk much But their different activities were performed in different parts of the kitchen There’s one sequence where Michel explains what happens at the various workstations in terms of preparation The tasks are assigned in advance; the staff knows them; they don’t need to talk very much Michel at one point says to some of the visitors in the kitchen Somebody can raise their eyebrows or point with a finger The first time we really see them in the kitchen they prepare the food mostly in the kind of silence that you talk about the more we get the kitchen noise and the back and forth that goes on around the preparation of dishes How did you come to build this progression It progresses because there’s a progression in the film of seeing them buying it There’s less tension and hurriedness when they’re cutting up the fish or preparing a vegetable than when they’re trying to get the various components of the dish ready simultaneously When did that “farm-to-table,” for lack of a better word but it’s an obvious structure because it’s orderly It does progress from the purchase through the cooking with some side trips to the farm Did you envision those excursions off to the side I didn’t even know about it until I started shooting and he said he was going to visit a place where they made goat cheese “Can I come?” And then I heard that the staff was going to visit much bigger cheese factory “We’re going to be at the market at seven o’clock tomorrow morning.” Did making this film expand your idea of what food and restaurants are It seems to me you’re making a film about the entire environment But I didn’t know I was going to do that before I started What you see in the films is what I learned by being present You often talk about how your films are about resolving a tension between the literal and the abstract you see those echoes in the first and the last 10 minutes of the film Is that something that you’d rather me ask more specific questions about or something that you only talk about generally I’m interested in the literal and the abstract It’s not true in all the films that you see it at the beginning and the end there’s a long sequence in the dining room where Michel gives a lot of the history There’s a bit of an echo between the art of what they do and the commerce both that they begin at the market and end with Michel selling the dishes to the customers You’ve also mentioned that you have a novelistic influence more than a journalistic influence Do you see any echoes of those coming into play here I’d do “who,” “what,” “when,” and “where” in the first two minutes of the film the structure of the film resembles more of the structure of a novel than it does a journalistic report Were there any works in particular that were comparable to what you ultimately found I don’t say there’s a one-to-one relationship I’ve learned a lot about structure and how to present abstract ideas There’s a difference between presenting abstract ideas and words and images I’ve learned more how to do it with pictures I can’t help but see a bit of a contrast between the architecture of the main structures in your last two films: the brutalist architecture of Boston’s City Hall and the open windows connecting humans with nature at La Maison Troisgros How do you approach depicting physical spaces and how they impress themselves on human behavior It’s hard to make a judgment how it’s impressed on human behavior you try to find ways that accurately represent the way they look and oftentimes you say the goal is to create something “true to your own account of what happened.” Is the idea to recreate a time and a place with a little bit more impressionism rather than realism I don’t know what else it could be because I’m the one that’s making the choices Making one of these movies involves many thousands We see a number of scenes playing out at extended duration but there are also some sequences throughout that are designed to give glimpses of information or maybe it’s learning La Maison Troisgros is a Michelin-starred restaurant because you show the sign How are you determining when to intercut these types of shots into the action It gets back to the literal/abstract again I want a viewer to know it’s a Michelin-star restaurant The simplest way to do it was to show a picture of the Michelin stars inside I’m on the lookout for that simple way to convey factual information Is the preference to do it visually rather than giving an exposition dump I would have had someone talking about if I hadn’t had the sign and the kind of choices I have are related to the kind of choices I make during the shooting The kind of choices that I have in the editing are simply the sum of the choices I’ve made in the shooting How do you know when it’s time to stop shooting on a film like this Whenever you kind of have the sense of how it’s going to end I never have any sense of how it’s going to end if by “end” you mean how the film’s gonna end that’s something I work out in the editing I keep a notebook in my pocket about what I have and what I need to get Is the notebook more for practical considerations Are the themes emerging for you in the shooting but the specific themes emerge in the editing you’ve said it’s not strictly chronological… it’s chronological in the sense that I don’t start with a shot of the cooked brain Do you remember when the last scene we see took place There’s never any connection between the way a film begins or ends and my own experience I can end the film with somebody shot in the first day or begin it with something shot in the last day it’s all material from which you need to construct something the themes of past and the future are at play with Michel I don’t know if you psychoanalyze the way that gravitate toward themes but do you think you would have closed the film on that note decades ago is trying to think your way through the material Is there any mindset you bring to editing other than openness to reviewing the material and seeing what you have You have to think you understand what is going on in each sequence but I have to think that I understand what’s going on in the sequence to know how I’m going to cut it down from its original form which can be in some cases 10 times longer; three Editing one of these films is thinking about the human behavior that you have captured on film The shooting is more is physically demanding and is much more instinctive But the editing is more contemplative and not at all physically demanding Marshall Shaffer is a New York-based film journalist and other commentary on film also appear regularly in Slashfilm document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "a21e5da0bf783be45641b1a4269bdb8d" );document.getElementById("facec42938").setAttribute( "id" and website in this browser for the next time I comment Le Plaisir illustrates not merely Max Ophüls’s unparalleled sense of flow and texture As with Jean Renoir’s “Everyone has their reasons,” it’s easy to misread Max Ophüls’s famous maxim (“Life is movement”) and reduce it to a comfy The Renoir quote is widely accepted as a warm shrug embracing all of humanity’s foibles rather than an acknowledgement of the difficult interlocking and relativity of lives just as Ophüls’s statement can suggest the gracefulness of a universe in motion rather than the implacability of life’s forward momentum and the transience of emotion The beauty and Mozartian sense of visual musicality of his work enhance rather than detract from Ophüls’s toughness the director’s worldview could be as bleak as those of fellow Teutonic masters Von Stroheim Guy de Maupassant’s sardonic pen would seem a perfect fit for the director Ophüls’s adaptation of three of the writer’s short stories both accommodates and questions de Maupassant’s cynicism Often palmed off as a minor work sandwiched between the clarity of theme of La Ronde (which critic Robin Wood correctly tagged a “thesis” work) and the fullness of expression of The Earrings of Madame de… it’s nothing short of brutal when it comes to depicting the human desperation of glittering surfaces “I could be sitting next to you,” the Maupassant-as-narrator (Jean Servais in the original French version but Peter Ustinov in the English-dubbed version sounding a lot like Pepe le Pew) announces at the start the better to enjoy the human spectacles of vanity Ophüls’s justly celebrated mise-en-scène is at full throttle in the opening segment with the camera picking up the swirling beat of a luxuriant 19th-century ball virtually a parody of the dapper gentleman rushes onto the dance floor to join the quadrille; in one of the most stunning of all tracking shots Ophüls’s camera follows his strenuous pirouettes until the mysterious figure collapses The camera movement ranks alongside Hitchcock’s blurring of fantasy and reality in Vertigo and Antonioni’s magisterial final zoom in The Passenger though here Ophüls’s spiraling track accentuates the character’s loss of control like a puppet getting tangled over his own strings The fallen dancer is shown to be wearing a mask and the scissoring of the plaster façade reveals a breathless old man (Jean Galland) trying to fool age and resurrect past glories as the Doctor (Claude Dauphin) accompanies the old man back to his home he realizes the price of fantasy etched in the weary face of Gaby Morlay Galland’s earthbound and long-suffering wife who sees it as her duty to put up with her husband’s egotistical flights of fancy Surely Stanley Kubrick studied Le Plaisir because Le Masque appears to withering effect in Eyes Wide Shut yet Ophüls’s touch is far more delicate than either Kubrick’s or de Maupassant’s and it is typical of his complexity that the adaptation remains faithful to the writer’s words while at the same time indicting the male egos in search of pleasure at the cost of a woman’s suffering Ophüls’s sympathy for women corseted within patriarchal grids is even more evident in the second episode, La Maison Tellier. The virtuosic crane shot inspecting the outside of a Paris bordello, gliding from window to window with the Madam (Madeleine Renaud), suggests the missing link between similar maneuvers in Lubitsch’s Trouble in Paradise and Argento’s Tenebre though the movement has the subtly constricting effect of surveying a dollhouse with the women inside not only objects of pleasure for the male customers but also objects of contemplation for the audience Ophüls slyly hints that gender exploitation has become so ingrained into society that the cathouse is essential to keeping stability; on the Saturday night that the doors are closed fights break out among men as the respectable pillars of society line up by the shore to bitch and moan so the jolly hookers take the day off to visit her family on the countryside The pastoral vistas away from the city make this the most Renoirian of the episodes a connection further clinched by the casting of Jean Gabin as Renaud’s earthy-peasant brother whose daughter’s church ceremony the next day doesn’t keep him from taking an interest on one of the girls Ophüls’s own view differs from de Maupassant’s who went out of his way to depict the women as coarsely and stupidly as he could staging their encounters with the rural community for derisive divisiveness Ophüls visualizes their presence in church as a profound mingling of the sacred and the profane and his camera takes transcendental flight lyricizing the physical distance between religious statuary and human attendees spiritual rupture is evoked via pure motion and a sublime 360° pan brings it all together into emotional community they savor one last meal before having to return to town until Gabin makes a wine-fueled pass at Darrieux and brings things to a halt Gabin is the most sympathetic of the director’s male characters his lechery an open and ultimately good-hearted impulse free from the hypocritical sheen of the city men who visit the Madam’s gals while professing moral superiority—indeed one of the movie’s most affecting shots follows Gabin’s lonely ride home after dropping the women at the train station The crane movement is reprised to close the segment only this time the activities inside can only be seen through semi-closed shutters finally given human shape as the jaded friend of painter Daniel Gélin who first meets and captivates Gélin in an art gallery yet even in their first moments together he is happiest when molding her into poses for his canvas immobilizing her into objects of visual plaisir His colleague’s dictum is promptly honored and Gélin soon grows bored and aloof with Simon—the early exhilarating lateral pan right in the night of the exposition is reversed to the left later on as the trajectory of a domestic row capped by the couple’s shattering of their own reflections in a mirror Le Plaisir illustrates not merely Ophüls’s unparalleled sense of flow and texture His later films often take a male narrator as noted Douglas Pye noted in a Senses of Cinema article contradicting the all-controlling patriarchal voice When Servais speaks of feminine “directness of sentiment,” he (and de Maupassant) means it condescendingly as inferior to male rationality for women are meant to be seen rather than heard That Simon refuses to be discarded by her lover’s wandering interest points to the film’s structure of awareness of and rebellion against the controlling gaze the last progression from the passivity of the wife in the first episode and the spiritual epiphanies of the women-for-rental in the second episode the model is dumped unceremoniously by the artist—bursting into Gélin’s atelier Simon is goaded into jumping out the window Ophüls’s camera shifts into point of view for the swan dive In a society built on the oppression of a gender where pleasure is not only ephemeral but one-sided female assertion can only erupt through such dreadful acts of revolt Croce is a San Francisco-based film writer whose work has been published in Film Comment "ab3ac6e6c2822afafec9342be51a9e0a" );document.getElementById("facec42938").setAttribute( "id" but the ones that unfold in “Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros” are unusually exquisite The subject is invariably food: its sourcing over white tablecloths and stainless steel countertops with no PowerPoints or government office furniture in sight Light streams in not from clunky overhead fixtures but through floor-to-ceiling windows offering gloriously unrestricted views of the verdant Loire Valley countryside lies in the bracing spectacle of people talking and sometimes arguing the 60-something patriarch of the revered Troisgros culinary dynasty calmly grills his son Léo about a sauce that will accompany a dish of asparagus and rhubarb Michel has his doubts about the balance of ingredients the necessity of combining white almond purée soy sauce and elderberry vinegar in a recipe that he suspects might benefit from some judicious editing But Léo assures him it will work: “You think it’s complex,” he says That declaration illuminates something about this graceful and captivating movie and also about the nature of a filmmaking craft that Wiseman has practiced with quietly staggering consistency over nearly six decades “Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros” is his 44th documentary and elegantly expansive portrait of an establishment whose many constituent and tangential elements — farms and markets servers and customers — function together in a kind of whirring But it wears its intricacy with a lightness and subtlety that the culinary artists onscreen quietly devoted to their own pursuit of delicate emulsions and harmonious flavors Foraging for ingredients in “Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros.” (Film Forum) Those artists work under the watchful eye and perceptive palate of Michel Troisgros whose three-Michelin-starred restaurant — Le Bois Sans Feuilles located in the central French village of Ouches — is the proud culmination of a nearly century-old family enterprise across from a railway station in the town of Roanne Michel’s children are the fourth generation to carry the torch: César serves as head chef at Le Bois Sans Feuilles a more casual restaurant located in nearby Iguerande (Hovering on the movie’s periphery are Michel’s wife who oversee the Relais & Château luxury hotel that houses Le Bois Sans Feuilles.) Wiseman and cinematographer James Bishop (who was an assistant cameraman on the director’s earlier documentaries “La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet” and “Crazy Horse”) drift freely among these spaces and their surroundings laying out the connections between supply and demand The movie begins at an open-air market where César marvels at some giant oyster mushrooms then moves to a cattle farm known for its humanely sourced beef we drop by a vineyard that prizes the quality of its soil then head to a cheese cave whose precisely aged wares soon will wind up on a mammoth rolling cart (You won’t be able to take your eyes off that cart; it’s one of the movie’s most memorable supporting characters.) to gently admonish the sous-chef responsible in a scene that plays like an echo of that saucy earlier argument with Léo Michel works his way through a plate of kidneys cooked in sriracha calmly picking apart every detail while César listens and fumes quietly from the sidelines It’s a marvelous sequence: a master class in culinary criticism a snapshot of cross-generational tension and a reminder of how hard it can be to accept the offal truth Not ratedIn French with English subtitlesRunning time: 4 hoursPlaying: Starts Dec. 1 at Laemmle Royal, West Los Angeles Justin Chang was a film critic for the Los Angeles Times from 2016 to 2024. He won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in criticism for work published in 2023. Chang is the author of the book “FilmCraft: Editing” and serves as chair of the National Society of Film Critics and secretary of the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. Hollywood Inc. Entertainment & Arts Movies Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map SEARCHThe global authority in superyachting The 47 metre motor yacht Mon Plaisir, listed for sale by SuperYachts Monaco, has been sold with Jonathan Zwaans at Y.CO introducing the buyer Built in steel and aluminium by Dutch superyacht yard Heesen to a design by Omega Architects Mon Plaisir was delivered in 2008 as one of the yard's 4700 series Accommodation is for 10 guests in five cabins consisting of a main-deck master suite DVD systems and full en-suite bathroom facilities The main saloon is ideal for relaxation with comfortable seating in front of a 42-inch Pioneer plasma television and entertainment system while up on the bridge deck is a skylounge including lounging areas a 65-inch Panasonic 3D television and a karaoke machine in English and Russian The brokers at SuperYachts Monaco commented: "Mon Plaisir is an exceptionally well-maintained displacement steel hulled 47 metre Heesen The owner spared nothing in build; interior hardware and panel trimmings include Sterling Silver throughout with Elmo leather finishes Calacatta marble and American walnut wooden flooring fresh feel with stunning detailing throughout the yacht have delivered in Mon Plaisir a yacht with the perfect balance of interior volume and exterior deck space." Mon Plaisir was asking €18.5 million. Latest news, brokerage headlines and yacht exclusives, every weekday SubscribeSign up to our newslettersSign up to BOAT International email newsletters to get the latest superyacht news Boat International Media Ltd © 2008 - 2025 Content presented under the "BOAT Presents" logo is an advertising feature and Boat International Limited has been paid to include this content You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience Skip to Content Map and Directions Buy Tickets Login Donate Donate to the Spring Appeal Buy a Membership Renew a Membership Buy a Gift Membership Buy Gift Cards Buy DVDs and other merchandise Other ways to support Film Forum Our email newsletter comes to your inbox every week with Film Forum's upcoming films and events DIRECTED & EDITED BY FREDERICK WISEMAN Now Playing Email Us Map & Directions Site Credits Privacy Policy Film Forum acknowledges the Lenape peoples This acknowledgement reflects our commitment to shedding light on the ongoing legacies of settler colonialism and forced migration Film Forum is committed to accessibility. If you are using assistive technologies like a screen reader or magnifier and are experiencing difficulties accessing this website, please let us know by emailing filmforum@filmforum.org Reviews The 93-year-old master documentarian Frederick Wiseman is often described as a filmmaker whose specialty is depicting the inner workings of institutions of varying sizes and the way they evolve and change over time And it’s true: that is probably the most obvious through-line in Wiseman’s work.  or just get through the year and into the next one.  from the initial purchase of produce and meat and fish to its preparation whether it’s a bunch of carrots or radishes in a produce market stall or configurations of employees and supervisors moving delicately around one another in a restaurant kitchen The main setting is Le Bois sans Feuilles (translation: “The Forest without Leaves”) a restaurant with three Michelin stars that was located in an urban setting in Roanne for decades (across the street from a train station) but moved in 2017 to a manoir in nearby Oaches and adopted a more “countryside” vibe which owns two other restaurants in the area The customary Wiseman fascination with change over time is incarnated in the relationship between the current patriarch of the family his heir apparent César (there’s a brief mention of Michel’s younger son, Léo a chef at another restaurant who seems exasperated when his father suddenly changes the sauce for a dish he’s been perfecting for three weeks).  It takes a while to discern that César and Michel are related as they interact mainly as boss and employee (though cordially and with mutual respect). As is always the case in Wiseman’s work there are no talking head interviews in the film no identifying “chyrons” or titles to tell you everyone’s name and position indeed none of the devices you now expect to see in all documentaries Wiseman does find a workaround to his “no narration” rule: he’ll often have a subject ask another person to verbally explain an idea or process a restaurant employee or customer will say someone’s name Wiseman is keen on finding ways to get us to appreciate people only through what they say and do as well as their relationship to the spaces they move through and work or live in and then infer their relationship to the world at large There are mini-montages between scenes or sequences in the film often consisting of tight closeups and wide shots that hang onscreen long enough to appreciate the image’s texture often conveyed by choosing a series of shots where people move laterally across the screen in the same direction.  But the vast majority of “Menus-Plaisirs Les Troisgros” finds Wiseman and his cinematographer James Bishop finding a good spot to observe two or three or many more people doing a thing and parking the camera there The result is a series of moments rich enough to feel like a short film unto itself There’s an explanation to a couple of diners about the use of sulfite in winemaking There’s a section where a cheesemaker takes restaurant employees on a tour of his factory and explains the chemical processes of ripening (“Each cheese has its moment of truth A farmer tells Michel about the lactation cycles of goats and how it relates to his business There’s a sequence showing how honey is extracted from a beehive.  and positions these moments encourages the viewer to draw connections between it and other parts of the film (as in the beehive scene which might make you think back on the wide shots of the kitchen with all the “worker bees” moving around each other as they work together) “Now look here.” That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with making a movie that way—not at all!—only that Wiseman doesn’t do it and that refusal is part of what makes his films stand apart.  Another thing is the frequently massive run-time of Wiseman’s films A scene will go on as long as the movie feels that it needs to. It’s not looking at the clock either. But if you stay focused during scenes that feel as if they’re playing a bit too long you might notice that part of the strategy is to let you observe a tighter momentary kind of evolution: the way a conversation or other exchange will start out one way and end up another way.  there’s a long scene about two-thirds of the way through where Michel eats a dish César has overseen and they have a long discussion about what Michel thinks is missing from it: a visual element Michel appreciates that there are “no hangers-on softening the taste of the sauce” and says he finds the flavor “very nice,” then adds “but to look at?” A big part of the restaurant’s fame originates in its presentational brilliance Every dish is plated like a painting in a circular frame every element on the plate compositionally and color-balanced but never in a way that fights or undermines the taste and texture You can feel César resisting these notes slightly Whether it’s because he’s realized dad was right or because dad’s the boss is for us to figure out.  Michel says of the restaurant that “it’s always in movement.” He’s talking about the menu and the place itself and we might expand that thought to include the lives of everyone who works there and the process of making art Wiseman believes that food can be an artistic medium The cycles of destruction and creation are incarnated every day in restaurants Watching this movie made me realize why people take pictures of their food: they want a record of the beautiful object that’s about to disappear Matt Zoller Seitz is the Editor-at-Large of RogerEbert.com TV critic for New York Magazine and Vulture.com and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism Started out with the exhibition "Le Plaisir du Texte" Federica Chiocchetti’s journey as the museum director of MBAL The online and offline platform Photocaptionist derived its name from a dream whose job title was indeed photocaptionist daily produced texts accompanying photographs he received from institutions who for several years combined her independent curatorial practice and a PhD at the University of Westminister where she was delving into the photo-text relationship through history Since 2022 Chiocchetti is the director of the Swiss beaux-arts museum MBAL: Le Plaisir du Texte is an exploration of the pleasure of reading - one where words become images Looking at your work as Photocaptionist and at your PhD research the theme you’ve chosen for your first exhibition at MBAL feels very personal and connected to questions that have been with you from very early on What is originally attracting you to the analysis of photo-text relationships so closely drowned in complex information - going from working as an independent curator to being a museum director with all the administrative and bureaucratic complications this carries I went hiding in the room of the permanent collection I started noticing paintings that showed people This made me think of the book Les femmes qui lisent sont dangereuses by Laure Adler and Stefan Bollmann a sort of art history through the lens of the female reader A light bulb went on: maybe my PhD photo-text research could come back and be re-translated into a multidisciplinary exhibition where all arts and all eras would meet One aimed to explore the diverse ways in which text can give us pleasure: as readers The other shaped a trajectory originating from an imaginary text: we cannot know what someone painted on a canvas is reading that compose Swiss artists Lutz & Guggisberg’s imaginary library From this virtual text that you cannot see we then transition to a slow and gradual invasion of the image where words become the artworks’ main characters as in the case of Nora Turato or Italian photographer Luca Massaro the otherwise fleeting meaning of the image Looking at the works that you decided to exhibit it seems like you went after an opposite kind of relationship: one where the ambiguity of images is invading I did not choose Barthes as a source of inspiration randomly: he’s the only one who ever actually theorized text-image relationships through the notions of anchorage and relay takes place when a piece of text stabilizes the meaning of an image relay doesn’t reduce meaning: it catapults it elsewhere To a place that does not originally belong to the image It impresses in the retina elements that wouldn’t be there otherwise I’ve certainly been attracted by works of this kind - showing a relay Are there sides to this theme that you had not considered or crossed yet and that instead you could explore through Le Plaisir du Texte it was the first time that I included old paintings in an exhibition I had never addressed artificial intelligence they intrinsically are photo-texts: the image generates as you write it With AI images becoming more and more of a trend I grew more interested in algorithmic text South African artist Nelis Franken made for the exhibition a leporello called Perfect Forest where the typical AI text-image relationship is reversed: here very poetic - was algorithmically generated starting from keywords The leporello shape was really fitting to me There are several books you exhibited as objects They have the wonderful characteristic of making a space more familiar and pacing the exhibition’s navigation as they slow down the visitors who consult them I like to soften atmospheres and create contrasts between pop and rigor to break the seriousness of the reading women’s paintings: this is why I exhibited Olivier Lebrun’s publication A final companion to books from the Simpson in their same room the book collects screenshots of moments in the tv series where characters are reading a book - at times they’re existing volumes at times they’re totally made up by the director Starting from how you approached this exhibition but also looking at your work more broadly Swiss curator Harald Szeemann was for me a legend and I often look at his work as a guiding reference He was the first independent curator in history making unsettling exhibitions that almost introduced new artistic movements His Duchamp-like operations mixed non-artistic objects with works of art I included artifacts that I saw as intruders triggering tensions and hopefully amusing reflections I think curating is telling a story through objects and an eye on the visitor’s rhythm are always needed: to break a flow you mentioned the struggles of adapting to your new role I thought I would deal mainly with exhibitions taking care of the political and administrative issues that take a lot of energy Thankfully in my previous life I also studied economics which really helps today but I’d say this was the year when I learned the most in my life I want to be faithful to who I am: a transparent person who respects hierarchies but prefers a horizontal way of management even though I know that the final decision is up to me; it is important to establish a friendly and collaborative environment where people care about one another and where they aim to shape a beautiful project together Can you disclose something about what will be next at MBAL The next exhibition’s formula replicates the current one: the permanent collection works as a trigger for a theme to emerge There are many animal studies artworks in the collection indigenous works of art from Canadian Inuit artists bears that are made out of whales’ bones… it’s a beastly cabinet of curiosities I invited contemporary artists working with photography such as Marta Bogdanska with Shifters and Vive La Résistence a project where she studies all the forms of resistance that characterize man-animal relationships Video artist Patrick Goddard will show his brilliant dystopian video pieces Animal Antics and Lonely Planet Italian Emilio Vavarella will bring his award-winning video Animal Cinema an incredible work of art that uses found footage of animals who by chance encountered activating them with unconscious movements always keeping the museum's permanent collection as a starting point Yes at the moment I am really enjoying this method and invite Swiss and international contemporary artists the two dimensions come together: she will include the permanent collection’s artworks in her installation choosing paintings that are in line with her iconographic research She will create clusters and clouds shaping new links between her practice and the heritage of the museum Le Plaisir du Texte is open in Le Locle, Switzerland, at MBAL until 18/09/2023. Camilla Marrese (b.1998) is a photographer and designer based between Italy and The Netherlands, graduated from MA Information Design at Design Academy Eindhoven (NL). Her practice intersects documentary photography, design for publishing and writing, aiming for the expression and visual articulation of complex issues. Le plaisir du texte at MBAL, © Lucas Olivet Melissa Catanese, Le plaisir du texte at MBAL, © Lucas Olivet Olivier Lebrun, Le plaisir du texte at MBAL, © Lucas Olivet © Marta Bogdanska, Australian War Memorial Reading"An angry doughnut faces off..." More fromWork Contact Advertising Opportunities Newsletters Insights + Opinion Creatives + Projects Advice + Resources Culture + Lifestyle Nicer Tuesdays The View From... POV Forward Thinking Review of the Year Jenny Brewer Olivia Hingley Ellis Tree Elizabeth Goodspeed Liz Gorny Extra Search gleeful short film that further cements their aptitude in 3D animation and character design produced in-house at Passion Animation Studios “We wanted to leave the audience confused at the end going away still wondering about what the hell they just watched,” the animators tell It’s Nice That a fictional data management company in Houston bespectacled computer technician called Stephane typing away in a humid office cooled only by a metal fan a pink-frosted doughnut with eyebrows made of sprinkles saunters in and faces the man ordering the mild-mannered technician to eat it as it launches itself into his face which it incessantly batters with its doughnut fists which also involves a gang of doughnuts and a cupcake who’s late to the party features hilarious voice acting by the animators themselves The collective finds its groove in designing its characters which is also where the heart of Plaisir Sucré really lies despite its absurd story “Creating new characters is the thing we love the most about animation It is a lot of fun to create personalities and to imagine how a character would react to each and every situation,” the animators explain They tell us backstories of the characters that didn’t appear on screen but which are absolutely plausible given the personalities of the characters; how Stephane rode to work on his scooter and how he’s in love with the Magaly the company’s accountant who he writes secret poems for because he “never has the guts to tell her.” They also take great care in putting in the small details in the animation itself we wanted to have a tidy and meticulous guy with a simple office life,” the team says it was obvious to us that Stephane would wear some kind of medical shoes because he always chooses comfort over style The personality of the doughnut came naturally in finding a contrast to Stephane’s personality “Stephane is so placid that he can’t even defend himself against a little pastry we add the fact that the doughnut is speaking German so Stephane is completely bewildered,” they say and colouring come after this initial character design with the animators continuing to tweak their traits as they build the film’s environment and decide on their voices the animators usually bring individual ideas to their very casual pre-production meetings “We gather around a pint of beer to discuss them or some good old whisky if we’re really struggling,” they joke “Once we’ve done all the designs and the storyboard the three of us start working on the production.” From the outset they start with modelling the character’s rigs in order to start working on pre-visualisations that they build the rest of the project on “We think this is one of the most important parts of the process so we always push this stage to be as early as possible,” the animators explain Corentin takes on the texturing and surfacing of the characters Oscar continues on the rigging while Camille models the rest of the environment is the final part of the main production process “Everything happens really quickly after that: the renders Plaisir Sucré ticks all the boxes: it’s technically proficient Further Infowww.megacomputeur.com Alif Ibrahim Alif joined It's Nice That as an editorial assistant from September to December 2019 after completing an MA in Digital Media at Goldsmiths His writing often looks at the impact of art and technology on society Fancy a bit of It's Nice That in your inbox Sign up to our newsletters and we'll keep you in the loop with everything good going on in the creative world Instagram TikTok LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Pinterest About Careers at It’s Nice That Privacy Policy Insights Residence Creative Lives in Progress If You Could Jobs © It’s Nice That 2024 · Nice Face Logo © It’s Nice That www.megacomputeur.com The French animation collective Megacomputeur returns with another highly-polished Porous is a beautifully tender and tactile meditation on healing from sexual trauma How Studio Dumbar/DEPT® developed a free and open-to-the-public festival to foster creativity community and experimentation within the ever-evolving motion design landscape London-based creative embraces an enchanting interplay between medium and message A hypnotising hybrid of imperfect prints and digital code – are these analogue animations the dream clubbing visuals About Contact Advertising Opportunities Newsletters Insights + Opinion Creatives + Projects Advice + Resources Culture + Lifestyle Nicer Tuesdays The View From... POV Forward Thinking Review of the Year Jenny Brewer Olivia Hingley Ellis Tree Elizabeth Goodspeed Liz Gorny Instagram TikTok LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Pinterest Careers at It’s Nice That Privacy Policy Insights Residence Creative Lives in Progress If You Could Jobs In “Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros,” Frederick Wiseman turns his attention to fine dining at three-Michelin-starred restaurant Troisgros None of the cinematic tropes that have come to define today’s food documentaries — sweeping pans a climactic symphony of strings — are present in Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros a spellbinding new four-hour documentary about the three-starred Michelin restaurant Troisgros In place of the usual grandiloquent aesthetic of luxury spun up by docuseries like Chef’s Table and Taco Chronicles The 93-year-old filmmaker — known for depicting the inner workings of societal institutions, including the New York Public Library, Boston’s City Hall, and a Massachusetts correctional institution — takes an exhaustive approach filming hundreds of hours of footage and piecing them together without exposition or a dramatic arc encouraging viewers to contemplate and engage with them in their own time Wiseman puts fine dining under his microscopic lens demystifying it and providing a compellingly humanistic portrayal in its place Michel is in the process of passing the torch to his two sons César and Léo None of these contextual details are gleaned at the start of the film because Wiseman refrains from employing any explanatory narration, intertitles, or talking-head interviews. (This is a marked departure from Netflix’s Chef’s Table: France, one episode of which focused on Troisgros.) Instead Wiseman drops us in the thick of the restaurant’s world offering an egalitarian starting point that places all viewers contemplate oyster mushrooms and strawberries Every once in a while we get a close-up of the bounty — wild garlic new carrots — but the sheer ordinariness of shopping for the day’s meals stands in stark contrast to greenmarkets as glamorously captured by influencers or depicted by Jon Favreau sniffing through the produce in the 2014 film Chef César and Léo discuss their proposed new dishes with their father who politely grills them on every detail Minutiae and the seemingly mundane are Wiseman’s bread and butter and he uses them to construct a big picture here a vivid portrait of the restaurant ecosystem marked by the interconnected dynamics and exchanges among chefs and customers — each an integral element relying on the another in a mostly symbiotic harmony The film moves sublimely through a loose structure: meal planning and preparation; lunch service at Troisgros restaurant led by César; service at sister-restaurant La Colline du Colombier run by Léo; and then relevant digressions to various producers (winemakers all local) before returning to Troisgros for an evening dinner service Though pieced together from footage taken on different days the arrangement simulates a sort of day-in-the-life of a restaurant chef viewers are treated to an astonishing display of culinary talent and technique One chef delicately paints squid ink onto the petals of John Dory which has been steamed and shaped into a rose and another coils thin strands of puff pastry into a bird’s nest for the tromp-l’oeil “egg” dessert — both Troisgros signatures Menus-Plaisirs satisfies by evoking the sense of gratification derived from acknowledging the immense effort invested in preparing the meal But underneath the serene rhythms of the restaurant lies a tension between guests and the chefs which Wiseman subtly illustrates by shifting focus to the diners The transition from the back to front of the house becomes a jarring interruption one that also emphasizes the profound division between those making the food and those consuming it with a full tasting menu costing over €410 ($448 USD) and à la carte options reaching into the hundreds and Wiseman artfully underscores how the needs of high-end hospitality can run up against creative autonomy as when the maitre d’ rattles off an exceptionally long list of guests’ dietary preferences to the chefs (including a woman who will only eat chicken and another who insists on having strawberries figure into her dessert) these diners are its patrons: mostly white upper-middle-class European retirees and wealthy travelers a group of four English speakers stands out during the dinner scene as they compare a beautifully composed plate to a successful business transaction reducing something special and nuanced to crude commerce — the harsh irony magnified by the chefs’ diligence we witnessed in the kitchen moments earlier These issues exist only at the fringes of the film as in a fleeting moment glimpsed when the maitre d’ or head of the front-of-house staff emphasize a zero-tolerance policy towards misconduct and bullying In this sense Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros presents a poetically optimistic vision with Troisgros an idealized representation of what a restaurant can and should be contemporary culture elevated chefs to the status of rock stars but it has been quite some time since they were beheld as artists — Wiseman does just and these chefs in relentless lifelong pursuit of its perfection Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros opened November 22 in New York City and will expand to select cities nationwide Elissa Suh is a writer and editor based in New York dedicated to exploring the intersections of food and film The freshest news from the food world every day The most magical event of the festive season returns to the heart of Brussels The “Plaisirs d’Hiver ” festivities which include the Brussels Christmas Market It takes to the streets of the town on November 29 Let’s hear it for liters of mulled wine cones of French fries galore and crunchy chocolates in foil no fewer than 4 million visitors flocked to the illuminated stalls of Brussels’ biggest Christmas market the capital’s Christmas market welcomed visitors right in the heart of the city Merchants and shopkeepers provided latecomers with last-minute gifts and other authentic products with a festive flavour the magazines Best Christmas Market and Big 7 Travel even voted it “most beautiful market in Europe and the World” also announces “curling rinks” and “artistic discoveries” We’re already feeling the magic of Christmas 🎅Plaisirs d’Hiver – from 29.11.24 to 05.01.25 in Brussels 2010Save this storySave this storySave this storySave this storyHad the German director Max Ophüls not gone to France because his echt-bittersweet view of life was joined to a sensibility so refined and a style at once so exquisite and so elaborate as to place him in the tradition of Proust His 1952 adaptation of three stories by Guy de Maupassant scooped up under a title that means “Pleasure,” revolves around the writer himself begins with a black screen over which a fictionalized version of Maupassant (played by Jean Servais) introduces his stories each of which—particularly as filmed by Ophüls—is centered around an aspect of pleasure: an old man a retired hairdresser to the beau monde and once a legendary seducer who chases erotic dreams in a dance hall; a group of prostitutes from a brothel who leave the men of their town destitute for a Saturday night when they head to the countryside for a first communion and whose own lost dreams inflame the church with an unexpected passion of piety; and the eternal tale of an artist and his model and the surprising bond that outlasts their first love Frederick Wiseman offers a suggestion of how the world could work Frederick Wiseman settles into a three-star Michelin eatery in Roanne and unearths another of his temples of contemplation An early scene grabs us immediately with its fine-grained texture quotidian-minded tempo that’s characteristic of Wiseman’s other non-fictional epics we watch as La Maison Troisgros’s aging yet vigorous head chef and owner debates the particulars of an asparagus dish with his son and successor The chefs’ eagerness for perfection feels less entitled than earnest—a striving to hone their art Wiseman allows this scene to unfold over a medium shot as Michel and César sit at a table in the eatery’s dining room after hours an enviable view of the countryside visible behind them it’s exhilarating to pare life down to the existence of an asparagus dish no clicking—let’s stay here and get this one thing completely right and the effort of corralling the ingredients toward a collective effect is of Wiseman’s greatest interest which justifies his effrontery in allowing the scene to transpire over what feels like real time Menus-Plaisirs Les Troisgros goes deeper into the minutiae of process than most other filmmakers could possibly dare Wiseman proves again to be the master poet of micro textures that speak to the macro of social infrastructure Michel and César aren’t speaking only of asparagus Wiseman captures their pleasure in talking as father and son as well as the strand of competition that inevitably runs through their communication likeable men who refute the stereotype of the chef as hysterical slave-driver and so their moments of concern stand out all the more We’re allowed to intuit that screaming at this level of operation is an absurd indulgence In a kitchen populated by working-class heroes looking to prove themselves but here the chefs and other artists and technicians seem to take their brilliance as a given seeking to coax it to its fullest expression There’s more than a touch of class involved in the difference between these types of scenarios as you can afford to be a better person when this much money flows through an establishment and you’ve won for yourself this much respect freeing yourself of the shackles of uncertainty and desperation Everything about this family restaurant is a testament to the openness that money affords from the spacious and luxuriously underpopulated dining room surrounded by an unbelievable view of the countryside to a kitchen in which all physical barriers have been annihilated in the service of flow and sanity functioning as a conservatory of food masters who suggest a blend of composer and scientist The sophisticated feng shui of La Maison Troisgros meshes intimately with Wiseman’s beautifully lucid long takes and the filmmaker is alive to the class tensions that separate La Maison Troisgros’s kitchen from that of a less rarefied restaurant Wiseman has made a career documenting class in various social systems but he allows such differences to remain implicit Wiseman is less interested in landing classist broadsides than in honoring the internal biorhythms of the realm surrounding him Wiseman is contemptuous of the expository spoon-feeding that mars much of cinema justifying our trust in his ability to allow the bigger picture to emerge granting us a neophyte’s view that evolves over the running time into omniscience We hear a dish discussed and then we may see it an hour later When Michel and César discuss the asparagus as that information arises as we acclimate to the restaurant just as we hear of the John Dory dish repeatedly before learning of its sculptural flower structure and green curry sauce We meet Michel’s wife long before we’re told who she is and when we learn of her identity another piece of this intricate familial portrait snaps resoundingly into place These bursts of sudden recognition animate the entire film especially in the elaborate service sequences which contrast the intricacy of the kitchen’s cooking and plating with the precision of the servers’ interactions with patrons dozens of details that have been set up for us across many scenes cohere into a kaleidoscopic portrait of the rigors of the service industry as pleasant segues are revealed to be pivotal to perhaps only the garnish on a plate is timed so unpredictably that it comes to mean more than information is delivered by Michel five minutes before the film concludes Conventional filmmakers would’ve placed this footage up front to orient the audience while Wiseman delays it so that it serves as a requiem for Michel’s relevancy and perhaps for the unapproachability of the experiences we’ve witnessed Wiseman offers a suggestion of how the world could work and many of the film’s long and winding passages function as seminars on on how to move cattle so that they eat grass in a fashion that complements their vaster environment These sequences are informational in the matter of a conventional documentary and poetic and obsessive in Wiseman’s determination to show how society can work in harmony Imagine a Food Network program as overseen by John Ford and Jean Renoir and you’re closer than you’d expect to conjuring this film’s singular wedding of details with ecstatic formal beauty Ford and Renoir would almost certainly be proud of an impressionistic reverie where restaurant workers laugh with one another while trimming flowers for garnishes and cheese so moldy it appears to be growing a beard—suggest objects of transcendent majesty that have been frozen in time by Wiseman who seeks to share their rapture with those of us with less means than himself There’s the sense of 93-year-old Wiseman wanting to get it all in: to see and feel and touch and taste and share as much as he can before time defeats him Chuck Bowen's writing has appeared in The Guardian, The Atlantic, The AV Club, Style Weekly, and other publications. Brilliantly-written, deeply insightful review of the lastest Wiseman masterpiece! I saw it last week at the Film Forum and was wholly riveted for the four hour running time! document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "ab78b7a519f87084414dbe1ee92af9f5" );document.getElementById("facec42938").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Essaying the pop culture that matters since 1999 “I’m delighted to speak to you in the dark, as if seated right beside you…and perhaps I am,” seductively drawls the narrator opening Max Ophuls’ Le plaisir. “You can imagine my anxiety, for these are old tales, and you’re so terribly modern.” More than just the rare literary adaptation that lives up to its source, Le plaisir skips lightly, valiantly ahead. At once filling in, questioning and subverting Maupassant’s narrations, Ophuls’ camera eye is both more intelligent and more kind. (The maestro conductor Daniel Barenboim spoke recently in New York of subversive instrumental lines in great musical scores: a wind instrument’s staccato pushes against a sustained string in a Mozart concerto. Ophuls attempts no lesser miracle.) And yet (and this is why I think Le plaisir is a rare cinematic masterpiece) while Ophuls piles on the visual beauty, he subtly demonstrates that what he is adding is of far greater import than mere decoration. His stories take Maupassant’s worldly wisdom and glamorous cynicism and imbue spirituality and compassion. Beauty, in Ophuls, may come very close to saving the world. From the opening of the brief first piece “The Mask”, we grasp that surfaces, here, hold great significance, but realize that layers of meaning must still be uncovered. Ophuls’ magic renders the unmasking pleasurable, even though the truth that the characters—and we—both notice and ignore, is gently wounding. Ophuls films are for lovers of great acting—and his actors, reputedly, adored the great director. One of the girls, Mme Rosa (Danielle Darrieux), begins to stand apart. She catches the carpenter’s eye, but in this film about the pursuit of pleasure, the sole spark of genuine romance is never consummated. Instead, the young girl’s communion offers the only release of “The Tellier House” or Le plaisir in its entirety. Innocence personified moves through the church, and Mme Rosa, then the other girls, and then the entire congregation, begins to weep. And then, back to Tellier house for the girls and a lonely flower-bedecked cart ride home for Jean Gabin, the sole sympathetic male role in Le plaisir. (My father, watching the film, murmured at this point, “It’s not easy being a carpenter, either.”) The town luminaries rejoice and we end amid champagne and dancing, an unexpectedly joyous night at the brothel after the rare, rare glimpse of a world beyond. All three of Le plaisir’s stories, it turns out, are about motion, both its impossibility and inevitability. On the one hand, nothing can ever change: characters are trapped, in themselves, in circumstances, in relations to others. On the other hand, change—the passage of time, the approach of death, ruin—is inescapable. It is Ophuls’ generally accepted motto, from the mouth of his greatest heroine Lola Montes, that “life is motion.” In Le plaisir, motion and stasis alternate as illusions masking one another. His camera is all swooping, panning, plummeting (with Simone Simon) motion. This is characteristic of his French films: allegedly Hollywood’s even then conformist standards limited what he could get away with in the ‘40s. Ophuls escaped the Nazis to arrive in the US in 1941, but changed his mind and moved back to Europe in 1950. He made his four final and best films in a row: La ronde (1950); Le plaisir; The Earrings of Madame de… (1953); and Lola Montes before dying in 1957. Schnitzler’s relentless depiction of fleeting sexual desire had, as a subtext clear to contemporary Viennese audiences, the spread of syphilis. The theme has reappeared in other reworkings of the play: the 1992 Chain of Desire by Temistocles Lopez (with Linda Fiorentino) explicitly maps the spread of HIV among interrelated strangers. What distinguishes Ophuls’ La ronde is the sophistication and elegance with which he treats his subject. This ‘round’ is a merry-go-round, ruled by another dapper narrator. The theme of sexually transmitted disease is discreetly absent—yet one could argue that a trace remains, the more haunting for its erasure. The film is, perhaps, that much more profoundly about the traces, physical or spiritual, that the characters leave on one another. Maupassant’s narrator misses the edge of this particular dynamic, but little evades Ophuls’ eagle eye. It swoops, it moves, and at times it stands stock still: to look at the dancer’s wrecked wife in their squalid apartment; at the girls and madam rattling around Tellier House; at the matron modeling her eternal wheelchair. The extras include a restored digital transfer, English subtitles, and story order; introduction by Todd Haynes; assorted interviews; and an essay by Robin Wood. 2023The kitchen of Le Bois sans Feuilles combines the experimental exactitude of a lab with the creative spirit of an artist’s studio and the expectant energy of the wings of a theatre.Photograph courtesy Zipporah FilmsSave this storySave this storySave this storySave this storyThe joy of eating in France has long been that one can do so superbly at a reasonable price Isaac Babel’s 1934 short story “Rue Dante” records: “Menus-Plaisirs—Les Troisgros,” which opens Wednesday at Film Forum The film goes inside Le Bois sans Feuilles a sanctuary-like restaurant belonging to the Troisgros family in the village of Ouches (pronounced “oosh”) Le Bois sans Feuilles is one of French cuisine’s temples of jaw-dropping excess with more than forty documentaries under his belt is the cinema’s supreme analyst of institutions—hospitals In subjecting the Troisgros enterprise to his discerning gaze he comes under the spell of its aesthetic sublimity and finds the persuasive logic of its apparent absurdity the grand utility of its seeming frivolity is the madness of art yoked to the demands of business making the enterprise akin to architecture or But “Menus-Plaisirs” doesn’t yield to facile analogies sticks to specifics in the course of the film (which runs four hours) paying meticulous attention to the manner in which the food gets to the table he constructs two overarching stories that lend the movie dramatic tension: one about the evolution of the Troisgros establishment the other about the material transformation of the food itself I was pretty into French nouveautés of all stripes—the New Wave in film and the philosophers (Foucault So I borrowed the book from the library and found that whose recipes I could adapt for a dormitory kitchen the Troisgros book was both fascinating and unusable because the ingredients it called for and the techniques that it demanded were totally out of reach The “nouvelle cuisine” approach propounded by the Troisgros brothers seemed to be founded on emphasizing natural ingredients but in utterly unnatural ways—a mystery and a paradox that I viewed with bewildered admiration Though the term “nouvelle cuisine” doesn’t come up in the discussions in “Menus-Plaisirs,” the style’s vectors of simplicity and complexity nature and culture still figure in the work of the movie’s protagonists César is the head chef of the family’s main restaurant Le Bois sans Feuilles (its name means “the forest without leaves”); Léo is the head chef of a second more casual Troisgros restaurant in the vicinity The movie plunges straight into the agricultural heart of things opening with an extended sequence at an outdoor farmers’ market in the family’s home town of Roanne in addition to such exotica as wild watercress and gigantic and intricate oyster mushrooms which one of the group likens to a sculpture and which César plans to cook whole A meeting of the three chefs at a table in the Troisgros family’s brasserie plays out like a story conference: they decide to use a river fish (sourcing is an issue and settle on making a char soufflé and also quenelles César has the spur-of-the-moment inspiration to add a piece of eel to one of these recipes but notes that it’s “not easy.” This warning is borne out much later in the film in a way that gives a similar thrill to seeing a scene performed that one has previously known only from reading the script: César instructs a sous-chef on his complicated technique for cleaning and preparing the eels with emphasis on a rapid but delicate maneuver: “dropping the weight of the knife.” By the time the eels come into play Wiseman has established Le Bois sans Feuilles as a character in its own right The restaurant is connected to the family’s hotel and the lavish compound is a miniature capital of clean-lined modernism built in and around an old house that the family renovated a restraint that shifts diners’ attention to panoramic views out of floor-to-ceiling windows (Michel Troisgros admits that the place is “luxurious  the light is beautiful.”) The pared-down aesthetic and the splendid natural setting are anything but incidental; they’re visual manifestations of the ideals that prevail in the kitchen a career-long overcoming of the mind-body dichotomy Wiseman shows how daily life is shaped by the power of intellect and judgment—by debate and decree interrogation and discussion—and reveals the extensive webs of knowledge and even passion that underlie seemingly opaque or impersonal systems What matters isn’t so much whether the world is exactly so; more important he persuasively makes his personal vision of the world seem incontrovertibly real as in “Menus-Plaisirs,” depends as much on his audacious editing as on his way of filming because “menu,” in addition to being a restaurant’s bill of fare is also an adjective meaning “slight” or “trifling.” (It comes from the same Latin root as the word “minute.”) For Wiseman the “small pleasures” of the title are highly concentrated distillations of mighty exertions from the grand and carefully catalogued tradition of French cooking to the immediate tradition of the Troisgros family restaurants (now in its fourth generation) The film delves ever deeper into the elements that make the restaurant what it is: agriculture and animal husbandry; the exceedingly specific blends of science and art that go into the making of cheese and wine; the virtually hospital-level procedures required to keep a kitchen clean and safe; the business smarts needed to bring such a complex affair to commercial viability; the theatrical flair vital to stage-manage an experience for diners; and the inventive passion and artistic imagination of a creative chef Every one of these elements gets dramatic exposition in “Menus-Plaisirs,” as does the role of architecture in the family’s culinary enterprise Michel shows two diners around the kitchen “like a little tennis court,” with no hoods or dividers to break up the space nonauthoritarian leadership: “You can manage the kitchen without raising your voice.” The open kitchen is also a sort of culinary panopticon Every stage of food preparation—from the cleaning of fish to the chopping of vegetables the laying of fish slices as though in a floral arrangement the placement of garnishes with tweezers—displays the refined craft of each staff member and reflects Michel’s uniformly orienting supervision and the movie’s most conflict-ridden moment involves Michel’s reproach to a sous-chef regarding the technique of cleaning brains The Troisgros kitchen combines the experimental exactitude of a laboratory with the creative spirit of an artist’s studio and the tensely expectant energy of the wings of a theatre The intensity with which the kitchen staff calibrates the finishing of dishes for simultaneous delivery to a tableful of diners is a drama in itself of kidneys with sriracha and passion fruit The pair’s alertness to the nuances of taste—the degree of spice the demands of presentation against those of quantity the choice of an accompanying vegetable—rises to a high pitch of fervor undergirded by the implicit aura of a generational struggle one can’t fail to sense a salute from one artist to two others The movie’s most vertiginous sequences follow the Troisgros family to the rarefied domains of some of their suppliers There is a cattle farmer who grazes his cows naturally pays careful attention to the regrowth of grass on which they graze and believes that the artisanal raising of livestock should be recognized with the kind of officially controlled labelling that the wine industry receives raising the animals not for meat but for their milk displays a similar commitment to their well-being and their natural life cycles central cheese-aging facility holds forth on the finer points of temperature and natural yeasts A tomato farmer celebrates the biodiversity of his property and the way it reflects his vines’ need for sunlight with their demand for superlative ingredients and their ability to pay for them inspires and encourages the perpetuation of traditional agriculture through the methods of modern science the arts of fine dining reach not only deep into the soil but far back into the primordial wonder of the agricultural basis of urban life itself—and proves the agricultural basis of the word “culture.” The Troisgros enterprise is a major business and the money that sustains it is discussed onscreen as with the mentions of seating fifty-four diners for a lunch costing more than three hundred euros per head the intoxicatingly lavish greenery surrounding the main restaurant is dominated by the obnoxiously loud machine noise of what might be a weed whacker or lawnmower but turns out to be a helicopter conveying wealthy customers to a designated area heliport defying the stereotype of great chefs who expect diners to eat what they’re given the Troisgros family is very liberal with substitutions and grants wide latitude to diners’ needs and requests A restaurant is also a business of personalities Extended scenes of Michel working the room and greeting longtime customers go beyond glad-handing schmaltz to substantive discussions of his practices and influences and of the Troisgros family’s multigenerational story His current restaurant takes the place of the original restaurant across the street from the train station in Roanne in a building that the family rented for more than eighty years Michel says that he built the new place for the sake of his sons but that it also made him feel as if he were no longer in his father’s “footsteps”—that the new place That new inspiration and new freedom gets its ultimate symbol in a dish of crème caramel that he crafts with a younger sous-chef and decides to top with a bit of gold leaf in pursuit of a vision that condenses the surfeit of luxury with the aesthetic invention that it inspires: he notes that the gold leaf “fluttered” in the draft of the kitchen and wants it to do so when it reaches the table A long-ago crime, suddenly remembered A limousine driver watches her passengers transform The day Muhammad Ali punched me What is it like to be keenly intelligent but deeply alienated from simple emotions? Temple Grandin knows The harsh realm of “gentle parenting.”  Retirement the Margaritaville way Fiction by F. Scott Fitzgerald: “Thank You for the Light.”  Sign up for our daily newsletter to receive the best stories from The New Yorker. ShareSaveInvestingPersonal FinanceWhy Gender-Diverse Work Teams Are The Most Productive -- And ProfitableByLearnVest ShareSaveThis article is more than 10 years old.By Shana Lebowitz This post originally appeared on LearnVest Imagine for a moment that you could abandon political correctness and choose exactly who you work with picking an equal number of men and women to comprise your team or should you instead create a single-gender office it all depends on whether you’re aiming for a happy staff—or a productive one A new study conducted by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and George Washington University found that people are happier working with employees of the same gender—yet gender-diverse teams tend to be more productive The researchers looked at anonymous employee surveys administered at a Boston-based professional services company between 1995 and 2002 that measured cooperation trust and work enjoyment; they also analyzed the teams’ revenue over that same time period suggesting gender diversity is good for business But perhaps the most curious finding to come out of this research is that people actually do like the idea of gender diversity Employees surveyed reported that gender and racial diversity was important for increasing trust and satisfaction That suggests businesses may need to ramp up their efforts to encourage workers to accept people of different backgrounds Zacroc's is a great indoor playground where you can go with your family on Wednesdays Saturdays or Sundays (from 10am to 7pm) during school time or every day during the vacations Where one comes to let off steam in family the time of one afternoon for the children from 0 to 12 years and their parents Zacroc's is also a place where you dream of organizing your birthday party: from the castle of the heroes to Arthur's workshop eight thematic cabins allow your child to choose the universe he wants for his birthday the cabins of L'Antre Magique and Le Cirque: The park also offers a daycare service where you can leave your children with an animator while you take care of your priorities If the daycare is for a maximum of 3 hours per child a covered playground that will undoubtedly delight the little ones as well as the adults