Report on the exhibition "Portraits of the French New Wave by Raymond Cochetier"
Contrary to the fame of his work, not many people would know Raymond Cochetier as a still photographer of the Nouvelle Vague. But the strength of his photographs, as attested to by the oft-quoted words of Marc Vernet, continues to inspire our images across the ages.
At the Yokohama French Month 2014, a solo exhibition of Raymond Cochetier, the legendary still photographer who captured the Nouvelle Vague in photographs, is being held at nitehi works in Wakabacho. The photographs on display were newly developed in a lab in France by the 94-year-old photographer especially for this exhibition!
The opening party was held on Sunday, June 15th.
It was an open and homey party that anyone who just happened to pass by could feel free to join, and it was great to see so many people with children. The atmosphere of nitehi works, an alternative space renovated from a former credit union, and the synergistic effect between the works are also not to be missed.
The venue is spread over three floors, with the first floor also serving as a cafe, the second floor being like a loft, and the third floor continuing on. Numerous photographs were on display, including "A Soft Skin," "Lovers in the Night Fog," and "Antoine et Colette" (F. Truffaut) , "Breathless" and "A Woman is a Woman" (J. L. Godard) , "Adieu Philippine" (J. Rogier) , "L'Eye Malice" (C. Chabrol), and "Lola" (J. Demy) .
At the venue, a woman from the neighborhood called out to me, "Hey, young lady, is this Bebe?" I looked at the tip of my finger and saw Anouk Aimée, so I replied, "No, this is not Bardot." Then, with sparkling eyes, she asked me, "Do you know Jean-Paul Belmont?" and we chatted for a bit. The woman had probably seen the photos in real time, and seemed to enjoy recalling scenes from her youth from one photo.
The act of recording images for posterity began with the Lumiere brothers, and with the term "camera fountain pen" as a turning point, it has evolved from invention to art. The Nouvelle Vague is perhaps the most symbolic movement in this process. What is most interesting is that inventions distort the timeline, thus creating empathy across generations. And the magic of a moment, captured in a photograph that could be considered a fragment of a video, is alive in Raymond Cochetier's photographs.
Well, after seeing that exhibition, I really wanted to see a movie. But sadly, even if I rushed to my local DVD rental shop, it's true that most of the movies from the Nouvelle Vague are not available... But here's some good news!
Between June 21st (Sat) and June 27th (Fri) , there will be related screenings at Cinema Jack & Betty, which is also in Wakaba-cho and just a stone's throw away from the venue.
The films being screened are "Adieu Philippine" (J. Rogier) and "A Woman is a Woman" (J. L. Godard) . Please take a look at these as well.
The exhibition "Portraits of the French New Wave by Raymond Cochetier" will be on until June 29th (Sunday). Don't miss this rare opportunity! (Free admission, one drink order required)
