№ 53. To Remember Is To Suffer

N is for noir, nimbus, nitrogen and nocturnes, from Lettrines

I read about this film in Gibbs Cadiz's "Forgiveness in the Age of Terror".

A few weeks back, I searched and grabbed a torrent. And when I finally decided to have time, sit down and watch the Cannes Grand Prix winner, the subtitles were missing! I thought, this couldn't be another one of my "French 4: A Nightmare on Kostka" specimens.

Flashback to college.

On my senior year, I took six units of extra credits after finishing off the required course load in summer. With blanks to fill in my sked, I thought I'd bust the usual business track and head north---Gallic and cream. Ergo, a Minor in French Studies.

I decided maybe I could cruise my last semesters before hitting the big bad law school.

I enjoyed my French 4 classes and that hurdle of a classic, Antigone by Anouilh. Enjoy is the operative word. Madame O made it current and a sitcom, which is why I can now remember mostly the laughs. As for the conjugations and the future perfect tenses, allow me to just conjugate that Camembert with my baguette. Simpler.

But enough of the long, painful digression. Only Madame O could pull that off and have the benediction of the entire class.

Here's a quote.

Christian [Voice-over]: "Should it ever befall me, and it could happen today, to be a victim of the terrorism swallowing up all foreigners here, I would like my community, my church, my family, to remember that my life was given to God and to his country. That the Unique Master of all life was no stranger to this brutal departure.

And that my death is the same as so many other violent ones, consigned to the apathy of oblivion. I've lived enough to know, I am complicit in the evil that, alas, prevails over the world and the evil that will smite me blindly. I could never desire such a death. I could never feel gladdened that these people I love be accused randomly of my murder. I know the contempt felt for the people here, indiscriminately. And I know how Islam is distorted by a certain Islamism. This country, and Islam, for me are something different. They're a body and a soul.

My death, of course, will quickly vindicate those who call me naïve or idealistic, but they must know that I will be freed of a burning curiosity and, God willing, will immerse my gaze in the Father's and contemplate with him his children of Islam as he sees them. This thank you which encompasses my entire life includes you, of course, friends of yesterday and today, and you too, friend of last minute, who knew not what you were doing. Yes, to you as well I address this thank you and this farewell which you envisaged. May we meet again, happy thieves in Paradise, if it pleases God the Father of us both. Amen. Insha'Allah."

French mind maps were invented after my French classes.
They would have been useful visuals
and made conjugation less painful.