In Search of Profundity

Do you ever have the feeling that the experience you are in is bigger than you are? I have that feeling a lot. If I could just express the profundity I feel . . . .

Most recently it happened to me when Mark and I went out for the evening without the kids (and while quite a notable occurrence in itself, this detail was not the specific reason I had the feeling that night).

Let me assure you from the beginning that this was no boring trip to the mall (for us an evening out is more like a trip to the grocery store, I am sorry to say), oh no. Since we live in this grand and wonderful city there are always great things to do; last week we went to the Canadian Embassy to see a screening of a new film from Quebec: L’Audition.

Oooooh, it feels so dramatic just to type it. I think I’ll do it again.

L’Audition.

That would be French (for you uncultured mall-goers) for The Audition.

The film was shown in the Canadian Embassy’s theatre (who knew embassies had theatres? Who knew I would ever find myself in one?). There were about fifty people there, and after we watched the movie (which was very powerful, I thought) the writer, director and star, Luc Picard, answered questions.

It was sort of like Inside the Actor’s Studio, but in French.

I tried my best to look thoughtful during the question and answer session (hint: laugh when everybody else laughs). And, of course, while the experience was not unlike Inside the Actor’s Studio, usually I’ve actually heard of most of the actors on that show.

Nevertheless, as a result of this experience I am now perfectly willing to liberally name-drop with any French Canadians I might meet (“the other night when I was chatting with Luc Picard . . .”).

I mentioned to my husband Mark later that I thought I might want to blog about the experience.

“If you did that, what would be your point?”, he asked. (Strange . . .this question very often comes up in our conversations. Come to think of it, it’s always Mark who is asking it.)

I paused and patiently tried to tell Mark that I wasn’t sure . . . that possibly I would blog about the universality of human emotion . . . how the love of a child and the love between partners are themes that transcend language and culture and can be communicated across all sorts of barriers.

You know, something deeply profound.

I explained, “The whole movie was in French but the images were so powerful you could understand them even if you don’t speak French.”

(Which I would know because I don’t, in fact, speak French. At all.)

Mark paused when I finished and helpfully pointed out: “Well, that could be true. Except for the fact that the entire movie had English subtitles.”

Sadly it seems that I am unable to write a profound blog entry identifying exactly what it was about that experience that seemed so larger than life. All I can say is, if you get a chance, order L’Audition up on NetFlix. Maybe you can turn off the subtitles, really feel the profundity of the experience and add a thoughtful comment to this blog entry.

And, in the meantime, I’ll just keep thinking about ways to work “the other night at the Canadian Embassy . . .” and, “have you seen that wonderful new film by Luc Picard . . . ?” into my conversations.

It will be up to everyone listening to recognize the profundity of the experience . . . and ignore Mark rolling his eyes in the background.