Post by davidhr on Sept 20, 2011 13:24:05 GMT -5
It was the calm before the storm, or at least before the concert, for Lara this past week, in preparation for Thursday’s ‘charity’ performance at Charerloi, Belgium. All eyes/ears will be tuned to see whether Lara presents the Mlle. Zhivago album to her French-speaking fans for the first time since its CD release almost 11 months ago in the Ukraine. And if she does, how will she do it – the songs are meant for an expansive sound (hence the illusion of orchestras when the songs were played for TV audiences in Russia); will there be an equivalent in this charity concert (probably unlikely) or will we hear their acoustic versions? Will Lara sing the notoriously difficult songs (e,.g., Llora, Mama, the Russian Song) that so far have never been performed live? And how will she explain the lack of availability of this latest CD in her home country after all this time? It will be an interesting night, for sure, and perhaps the only one we will get in the foreseeable future, since no additional concerts are planned for this year (as far as we know).
One possible approach for her suggested itself, when Alan Badoev indicated that he had just finished work on the ‘cinema-novelllas’ of Mlle. Zhivago and that it would appear on DVD in France, then on television in the Urkaine and Russia. If that is truly the case, Lara could explain that the songs she is presenting are from a DVD that will soon be available (and skip notice of the CD entirely). Again if this is true, it indicates that they have given up on a commercial release for the film. We have learned not to take anything Badoev says too literally – his pronouncements have failed to come to pass numerous times in the last year, and his answer was only in response to a question concerning what had happened to the project he had been so positive about in the past (“the great movie, of which you dreamed, has faded into the background?”). Presumably we will learn more about this in the next few days as well, from Lara’s perspective.
With the notice in the past few weeks of closing or inactive web sites, we now have the opening of a new one, “The Anges [Angels] of Lara Fabian”. It is a French site, available at:
www.anges-de-lara.fr/
The plan is to keep it up to date on happenings in Lara’s world, in addition to having an active forum. As the name implies, it is probably going to be populated by Lara’s most loyal fans. In related news, the comment on the presumed death (or at least coma) of the LFIAG website now seems premature, for it has sputtered back to life, at least temporarily (with the comment asking how one of the greatest producers in France, Gerard, could allow the “Mlle Zhivago” project to go so off-track in that country…).
The album of Thierry Gali "Il était une fois" (Once Upon a Time) with Lara’s participation (reading “Snow White”) will finally be made available for purchase on November 21st. The advertisement for it, which includes Lara, can be seen at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_UD9UTMXbY
Appropriately enough, the biography of Lara is now up to the “Mlle. Zhivago” project, pp. 218-223. As the book came out late last year, we now know a bit more about some of the clips/songs, so the following presentation differs somewhat from what the book presented.
**The lure for Lara in making this movie was that she got to play someone who “would not be centered on herself”, who could be ‘someone else’ for a few minutes…
**Igor Krutoi had been following Lara’s career and her concerts in Russia for a few years before deciding to approach her for the joint project, which evolved into both an album and the movie. He chose Alan Badoev to be the director for the film.
**As we know, the overall connecting link among the 12 clips is that it follows the reincarnational lives of a woman continually dealing with the eternal companions, Love and Death.
The clips as we know them:
1)The Beginning –Song “Demaine n’existe pas”
Earth is conquered by an extraterrestrial force, which destroys it. The principle theme of the story is the fate of a soldier who lost his loved one in this catastrophe. Meanwhile, he happens to arouse the interest of the extraterrestrial force by a sentiment that isn’t known to them – Love, which materializes in the form of a woman, and thus helps save the planet. This clip is the key to the film, introducing the Woman who will reappear in different guises in the other clips, always associated with Love and Death.
2)Anna Karenina – Song “Desperate Housewife”
A different perspective on this Tolstoi story, that of a woman who cannot live in love. Enclosed by a humdrum existence, the woman meets Vronsky, who saved her life during a horse ride. Love arises between the two, but it will be destroyed by her jealous husband. She then provokes them into a dual, in which she is killed, but she arises from the dead.
3) Lullaby – Song “Lou”
One must pay for freedom, for the maternal instinct and even for happy past memories. Here (using a look-alike for Auschwitz) Lara has to save her child in a concentration camp.
4) Fragility – Possibly “Ever Ever Land” or “Ascolta La Voce”
A woman is about to give birth to a child, but war breaks out. She then has to surmount all obstacles to get to the hospital.
5)Morphine – Song “Mlle Hyde”
A man who can’t face the real world retreats into a world of dreams, in which he meets a woman who brings him passion. But even here he has to pay for what he wants, as the woman is a vampire.
6) Winter Bouquet – Song “Russian Fairy Tale”
Occupied France during World War II, with cold, misery, famine and humiliation. But the love between a French woman and a soldier can change all that, and make it seem like Spring bathed in sunshine. However, Death is not far behind…
7) Mama – Song “Mama”
The story revolves around the themes of Death and the continuity of Life. At the moment when special troops enter into a hall, a woman gives birth, but dies in the process. Then one of the hosts takes the baby into her arms…
8) Toccami – Song “Toccami”
Passion and the body’s desires are carried to the limit in this story of a woman who pushes carnal appetites beyond all bounds and unveils a marvelous sensual world.
9) Beating – Song “Llora”
Within an apparent happy and tranquil family, a woman undergoes the cruelty of her husband; will she have the strength to leave this vicious circle?
10) Mr. President – Song “Mr. President”
A woman must protect children she is teaching from soldiers…
11) The Runaways (Fugitives) – Possibly “Tomorrow Is A Lie”
In a far future world, girls are no longer born, men give birth but death is always nearby. There are no wars for there is nothing to fight for. But then a miracle arrives…
Not sure what the 12th clip is, nor which of the songs listed for (4 or 11) it relates to…Note that the 13th song on the “Mlle. Zhivago” album, known to us as the ‘Russian Song” is a bonus and is not related to the film.
The book is under the assumption that this will be released to movie festivals, as it was a big production for the Ukraine. If Badoev’s latest comments are true, then that has been replaced by a French DVD and a Russian/Ukrainian TV show. It’s easy to forget that it was reportedly bankrolled by Universal Music France, so the French DVD does make some sense.
Ironic that the biography section we were up to is concerned with the same project Lara will now be coming to grips with later this week. It shows how little has happened in the past year. But by this time next week we should have a better idea of its real future.
David
One possible approach for her suggested itself, when Alan Badoev indicated that he had just finished work on the ‘cinema-novelllas’ of Mlle. Zhivago and that it would appear on DVD in France, then on television in the Urkaine and Russia. If that is truly the case, Lara could explain that the songs she is presenting are from a DVD that will soon be available (and skip notice of the CD entirely). Again if this is true, it indicates that they have given up on a commercial release for the film. We have learned not to take anything Badoev says too literally – his pronouncements have failed to come to pass numerous times in the last year, and his answer was only in response to a question concerning what had happened to the project he had been so positive about in the past (“the great movie, of which you dreamed, has faded into the background?”). Presumably we will learn more about this in the next few days as well, from Lara’s perspective.
With the notice in the past few weeks of closing or inactive web sites, we now have the opening of a new one, “The Anges [Angels] of Lara Fabian”. It is a French site, available at:
www.anges-de-lara.fr/
The plan is to keep it up to date on happenings in Lara’s world, in addition to having an active forum. As the name implies, it is probably going to be populated by Lara’s most loyal fans. In related news, the comment on the presumed death (or at least coma) of the LFIAG website now seems premature, for it has sputtered back to life, at least temporarily (with the comment asking how one of the greatest producers in France, Gerard, could allow the “Mlle Zhivago” project to go so off-track in that country…).
The album of Thierry Gali "Il était une fois" (Once Upon a Time) with Lara’s participation (reading “Snow White”) will finally be made available for purchase on November 21st. The advertisement for it, which includes Lara, can be seen at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_UD9UTMXbY
Appropriately enough, the biography of Lara is now up to the “Mlle. Zhivago” project, pp. 218-223. As the book came out late last year, we now know a bit more about some of the clips/songs, so the following presentation differs somewhat from what the book presented.
**The lure for Lara in making this movie was that she got to play someone who “would not be centered on herself”, who could be ‘someone else’ for a few minutes…
**Igor Krutoi had been following Lara’s career and her concerts in Russia for a few years before deciding to approach her for the joint project, which evolved into both an album and the movie. He chose Alan Badoev to be the director for the film.
**As we know, the overall connecting link among the 12 clips is that it follows the reincarnational lives of a woman continually dealing with the eternal companions, Love and Death.
The clips as we know them:
1)The Beginning –Song “Demaine n’existe pas”
Earth is conquered by an extraterrestrial force, which destroys it. The principle theme of the story is the fate of a soldier who lost his loved one in this catastrophe. Meanwhile, he happens to arouse the interest of the extraterrestrial force by a sentiment that isn’t known to them – Love, which materializes in the form of a woman, and thus helps save the planet. This clip is the key to the film, introducing the Woman who will reappear in different guises in the other clips, always associated with Love and Death.
2)Anna Karenina – Song “Desperate Housewife”
A different perspective on this Tolstoi story, that of a woman who cannot live in love. Enclosed by a humdrum existence, the woman meets Vronsky, who saved her life during a horse ride. Love arises between the two, but it will be destroyed by her jealous husband. She then provokes them into a dual, in which she is killed, but she arises from the dead.
3) Lullaby – Song “Lou”
One must pay for freedom, for the maternal instinct and even for happy past memories. Here (using a look-alike for Auschwitz) Lara has to save her child in a concentration camp.
4) Fragility – Possibly “Ever Ever Land” or “Ascolta La Voce”
A woman is about to give birth to a child, but war breaks out. She then has to surmount all obstacles to get to the hospital.
5)Morphine – Song “Mlle Hyde”
A man who can’t face the real world retreats into a world of dreams, in which he meets a woman who brings him passion. But even here he has to pay for what he wants, as the woman is a vampire.
6) Winter Bouquet – Song “Russian Fairy Tale”
Occupied France during World War II, with cold, misery, famine and humiliation. But the love between a French woman and a soldier can change all that, and make it seem like Spring bathed in sunshine. However, Death is not far behind…
7) Mama – Song “Mama”
The story revolves around the themes of Death and the continuity of Life. At the moment when special troops enter into a hall, a woman gives birth, but dies in the process. Then one of the hosts takes the baby into her arms…
8) Toccami – Song “Toccami”
Passion and the body’s desires are carried to the limit in this story of a woman who pushes carnal appetites beyond all bounds and unveils a marvelous sensual world.
9) Beating – Song “Llora”
Within an apparent happy and tranquil family, a woman undergoes the cruelty of her husband; will she have the strength to leave this vicious circle?
10) Mr. President – Song “Mr. President”
A woman must protect children she is teaching from soldiers…
11) The Runaways (Fugitives) – Possibly “Tomorrow Is A Lie”
In a far future world, girls are no longer born, men give birth but death is always nearby. There are no wars for there is nothing to fight for. But then a miracle arrives…
Not sure what the 12th clip is, nor which of the songs listed for (4 or 11) it relates to…Note that the 13th song on the “Mlle. Zhivago” album, known to us as the ‘Russian Song” is a bonus and is not related to the film.
The book is under the assumption that this will be released to movie festivals, as it was a big production for the Ukraine. If Badoev’s latest comments are true, then that has been replaced by a French DVD and a Russian/Ukrainian TV show. It’s easy to forget that it was reportedly bankrolled by Universal Music France, so the French DVD does make some sense.
Ironic that the biography section we were up to is concerned with the same project Lara will now be coming to grips with later this week. It shows how little has happened in the past year. But by this time next week we should have a better idea of its real future.
David