Rendezvous With French Cinema

Yesterday, I attended the opening gala premiere of the inaugural 'Rendezvous With French Cinema' film festival as a guest of champagne house Perrier-Jouet. The French film event organised by the French Embassy in Singapore, the Alliance Française de Singapour and Unifrance aims to bring the best of contemporary French cinema to Singapore. It will feature screenings of the latest French movies and offer a business platform where regional industry players will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from the French film industry.

Taking place from 8 to 13 December 2011, a total of 20 films will be screened over four days across four venues – Cathay, Golden Village and Shaw cinemas as well as the Alliance Française de Singapour. 16 of the films will be new releases while a retrospective segment will feature four previously released movies.

The most impressive part of the opening gala event was actually the film itself. The opening film 'The Artist' starring Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo really blown me away. I was rather skeptical at first because I didn't think that a silent film could work in modern days.

However, I was rather intrigued by the innovative idea and courage of director Michel Hazanavicius to go back to basics. The film reminded me that true acting existed in the old days where actors can only rely on their acting to convey a storyline. The luxury of sound and special effects to fluff things up was non-existent till 1931!

The story takes place in Hollywood between 1927 and 1931 and focuses on a declining male film star and a rising actress, as silent cinema grows out of fashion and is replaced by the talkies. The film is itself a silent film and in black-and-white.

Lead actor Jean Dujardin performance in the film totally justifies his win of the Golden Palm in Cannes 2011 for Best Actor. He took us on a roller coaster ride depicting the rise and fall of silent movie star George Valentin.

Berenice Bejo performance as Peppy Miller, a young actress hopeful set for a big break, was both entertaining and charismatic. I also love how her fashion evolved in the film as she went on from an extra to a mega movie star. I truly love the old school glamour when ladies dressed up in splendour.

If you like films, especially French films, do make a rendezvous with French cinema this week. I highly recommend 'The Artist'. Oh, and if you love dogs, the cute dog in the film will truly wow you with its acting. Simply amazing!

For more information, please visit rendezvouswithfrenchcinema.com.sg

H&M x The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

The best form of compliment for any foreign film is when Hollywood decides to make a version of it. In my opinion, the original film in the foreign language always pack a better punch. For this reason, I am reluctant to watch the Hollywood's remake of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

I have watched the original movie trilogy in Swedish, based on Steig Larsson's bestselling 'Millennium Series'. At his death in November 2004, Larsson left three unpublished novels that made up the trilogy.

Part 1 - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Swedish: Man som hatar kvinnor (Men Who Hate Women)

Part 2 - The Girl Who Played With Fire
Swedish: Flickan som lekte med elden (The Girl Who Played with Fire)

Part 3 - The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest

Swedish: Luftslottet som sprangdes (The Grandeur Fantasy Blown Up)

The best fashion compliment a film can get is when H&M decides to launch a collection based on the main character of a film. In this case, the collection was inspired by Lisbeth Salander, the girl with the dragon tattoo, played by Swedish actor Noomi Rapace.

Trish Summerville is behind the costumes for David Fincher’s version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. To celebrate the movie, costume designer Trish Summerville has created a women’s collection for H&M, full of pieces inspired by the film’s anti-heroine, Lisbeth Salander. I think Trish looks like a fashionable version of Lisbeth.

The 30-piece collection has a dark urban feel that defines Lisbeth's character, with leather jackets and trousers, torn jeans and slouchy hoodies all in industrial shades of black, grey, worn white or dark red. The collection debuts exclusively at Colette in Paris on 28 November. The collection will be available from 17 December at H&M’s Divided department in Singapore.

SENNA - The Film

Since 2000, G.H.Mumm has been the official partner of the Formula 1 Grand Prix, celebrating the achievements of drivers all around the world for over a decade. Prior to handling the public relations for G.H.Mumm since last year, I knew nothing about F1. All I thought about F1 then were the cars, hot girls and parties... and of course, the spraying of the champagne on the victory podiums.


Thanks to G.H.Mumm, I had the privilege of having my first foray into F1 at The Paddock Club last year. I did my pit tour and all, but I still didn't have much understanding of the motorsport till today... till I watched the film"SENNA".



Once again, thanks to G.H.Mumm, I had the privilege to attend the Asia premiere of the film "SENNA" today. Directed by Asif Kapadia and written by Manish Pandey, this film will forever change the way a F1 novice like me look at motor-racing. I believe it will even move the hearts of those who know nothing about racing.



"SENNA" is a documentary-style film based on the true story of legendary Brazilian motor-racing champion, Ayrton Senna. The film showed Senna's decade-long motor racing career from 1984 to his untimely death a decade later. It explores the life and work of this triple world champion, his achievements on the track, his quest for perfection and the mythical status he has since attained.



The film offers heart-pounding racing scenes and heartbreaking emotional moments, and I found myself rooting for Senna. Even till today, he is revered as the greatest motor racing driver of all time. In Brazil, he is regarded as a saint for his achievements and the charity work that is still being carried on by the namesake foundation set up by his sister.

Ayrton Senna taught the world that success awaits those with passion, determination, and faith. I find myself having new found respect for all F1 drivers and the teams. It is truly a sport that pushes the limits and breaks the boundaries, all in the quest for excellence and the pursuit of perfection.

I would highly recommend this film, which has been chosen to be the closing film at this year's Singapore International Film Festival.

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead.

I love watching documentaries and I chanced upon a really inspiring documentary yesterday that I would like to share with all of you. The title 'Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead' was enough to get my attention... and it did make me change my lifestyle after watching it. Well, I started incorporating juicing as part of my healthy lifestyle.


So what's the film about? Overweight Australian Joe Cross attempts to do something about his failing health that was an accumulation of bad diet choices and sedentary lifestyle. He was 100 pounds overweight, loaded up on steroids and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease. Being overweight, or rather, obese, is taking a toll on his health and he is on the brink of getting a heart attack anytime.

This is "Fat Joe" when he was 310 lbs

The film takes us through his self-imposed 60-day juice fast (under the supervision of his doctor) journey through America in which he engages everyday Americans in discussions about food and obesity in this lighthearted documentary addressing a deadly serious subject. Why America? He goes there for work regularly and he can't think of a better place than America (it is junk food paradise afterall, or should I say hell?) to face his battle against unhealthy food.

Joe talks to everyday regular Americans about their weight, diet and health.

Soon after his journey began, we could see how quickly Joe's weight in on the steady decline. I have to say he is an inspiration - for not eating doughnuts, pizzas, burgers and all things unhealthy while he was in Amercia. That's a massive load of willpower. He stuck to his juices and nothing else. He also ended his dependence on prescription drugs as his body begun to heal itself.

Joe brought his juicer everywhere he went.

And now... are you ready for an inspiring moment? This is how Joe looks now. After his fast, he continued to include juicing as part of his lifestyle. He exercises daily and eats wisely.

Holy smokes! Beneath the fat suit is a gorgeous man!

Yup, this is Joe Cross now. Amazing transformation that resulted from a healthy lifestyle!

Joe proved just how empowering it can be to take responsibility for our own health. In his film, he also showed how he inspired "Fat Phil" to make a lifestyle change. Fat Phil was a truck driver who was morbidly obese, tipping the scale at over 400lbs.

Fat Phil on the left, Joe Cross on the right (can't call him Fat Joe now...)

Fat Phil having his first fruit juice

Fat Phil on his way to a new him. He has lost lots of weight and still losing...

This is really a must-watch film as it would change your life or would at least inspire you to change your lifestyle. I have incorporated juicing into my dietary needs after watching this film. I replace at least one meal with a powerful fruit & veg juice cocktail. It is the best thing I can do for my body and immune system, by drinking the anti-oxidants and vitamins. It is not about losing weight for me (although it will be a bonus of course), but more about cutting down on processed food with empty calories and zero nutrients, and giving my body the good stuff it needs to be strong and healthy.

I opt for organic produce as much as I can but when it's not possible, I will ensure I wash the fruits and vegetables with an organic wash to remove the pesticides and unwanted stuff. Start looking after your body and it will start looking after you. :)

For more information, please visit: www.fatsickandnearlydead.com

John McIntyre, founder of Healthy Juicing, got in touch with me to share the interview he did with with Joe Cross. In the interview, they talked about Joe's favorite recipes, motivation, how to resist peer pressure and the need for a juicing community. You can read the interview by clicking on this link: http://www.healthy-juicing.com/joe-cross-interview.html