“8th of May. What a lovely day!”
Le Horla [The Horla] (Jean-Daniel Pollet, 1966)
May
08
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A reel-to-reel tape recorder. DP: Jean-Jacques Rochut.
and subsequent days.
– voice on tape
“Is it the form of the clouds, or the tints of the sky, or the colours of the surrounding objects which are so changeable, which have troubled my thoughts as they passed before my eyes? Who can tell?”
Le Horla [The Horla] (Jean-Daniel Pollet, 1966)
Aug
19
violet
The narrator enters a violet-blue room via a lavender-purple corridor (via). DP: Jean-Jacques Rochut.
Violet: a building or structure *
– Guy de Maupassant, Le Horla, 1887 (via)
Objects and rooms have distinct colours ranging from the deepest blues and violets to a pale lavender, a muted silver and shocks of yellow. The usage of colour in Le Horla is striking throughout and reminds me of how Van Gogh's paintings became increasingly colourful as his madness enveloped him.
* the Bales 2025 Film Challenge for August is not date-related but lists, for the most part, the colours of the rainbow.
“One grilled cheese, two slices of toast, two coffees. One pepper steak no chili and a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. Two glasses of milk. One plate of spare ribs. A chicken in a basket with three cups of honey. One lean smoked meat sandwich with pickles and mustard. One two-cream coffee and two club sandwiches. Two clubs.”
Françoise Durocher, Waitress (André Brassard, 1972)
May
21
lunch break
Waitress Françoise Durocher, this may be Luce Guilbeault, on her lunch break. DP: Thomas Vámos.
– Françoise Durocher
“The madwoman has received your grace.”
L'amore (Roberto Rossellini, 1948)
Apr
22
alms
Nannina (Anna Magnani) in “Il miracolo”, ascending a staircase while eating her alms. DP of this segment: Aldo Tonti; DPs “Una voce umana”: Robert Juillard & Otello Martelli.
– Nannina
U bent mijn moeder (Horst Königstein, 1984)
Sep
21
World Alzheimer's Day
Joop Admiraal in the role of his mother. During the monologue, the actor switches character and props.
“One grilled cheese, two slices of toast, two coffees. One pepper steak no chili and a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. Two glasses of milk. One plate of spare ribs. A chicken in a basket with three cups of honey. One lean smoked meat sandwich with pickles and mustard. One two-cream coffee and two club sandwiches. Two clubs.”
Françoise Durocher, Waitress (André Brassard, 1972)
Feb
9
freebie: Customer Service Day
A few of the 24 performers portraying waitress Françoise Durocher. DP: Thomas Vámos.
23 actresses and one person in drag play the part of Québécois waitress Françoise Durocher in seven monologues.
– Françoise Durocher
Watch the short on the NFB website.