Our constant bedfellows
Don’t you just love books and French films and friends who will lend you company to see films like these..

I still can’t get the image out of my head --- Luo seeing the ‘little seamstress’ walk away to explore the city. It’s a scene from the movie “Balzac.” Balzac is a French writer and journalist who through one of his masterpieces “Ursule Mirouet” will, in the movie change the little seamstress’ life forever.

Spanning during the Cultural Revolution where intellectual youngsters were sent to the countryside to be “re-educated”, the story revolves around Luo and Ma, two intellectual youngsters sent to one of the poorest provinces in China. Toiling very hard and adjusting to the folks’ primitive way of life, life for Luo and Ma was hard. But was made colorful when they meet “the little seamstress”, a girl from the countryside whom both Luo and Ma falls in love with. It was Luo, though who pursued the girl. Ma never told the girl that he loved her too, out of his respect for Luo but he loved her in his own simple ways with the pair of sneakers he gave her, his readings on Luo’s absence etc

As the little seamstress walks away to try her luck in the city, Luo asks what changed her and she answers him, “Balzac.” None of them knew that that was to be their last encounter. Many years after, Luo and Ma reunites, now both successful in their chosen careers and they reminisce life in the countryside including the little seamstress and Balzac..

How a book can change one’s life forever...
Oh yes, books – our constant bedfellows, patient, unyielding, powerful...

Postscript: child-meets-piolo and be-my-lady till our next popcorn date!