Letter to Cannes

Monseigneur Cin;ma,
It would be enough for you to see me in close-up in order to read passion in my face, blushed from excitement, in my soul, which appears reflected in the eyes voluntarily and unreservedly, falling for provocations of a movie screen. But as we are not t;te-;-t;te now, let me articulate my feeling and my being.
So here I am, a cinephilic fellow called Valery, whose main artery basically serves to supply art to heart.

Actually, I am in big part your creation. Pretty much like Little Buddha’s parents protected him from all troubles in the world, by isolating him from seeing old, ill or ugly people, the films I saw preserved me against some things. When a little girl, these films with its accurate and selective demonstration of adults’ stuff, enabled me to fill in the missing part with imagination: that is why until quite consciously age I thought the children were born after couple’s 500 kisses and 1000 hugs. 
 
The cinema is also irreplaceable when a family needs to gather for a common cultural activity, because it is impossible to read a book all together, but the film can be easily seen, shared, discussed. At the same time, some films allow to feel alone in a good way.
 
At university, an acting experience came to my life. In theater clases I discovered that playing roles should not be associated with betraying true self and cheating, much more with opening previously unrevealed facetas of identity. Gaining professional translation skills also reminded acting: like an actor explains the director’s message, so does an interpreter while working out the original speech.
 
Some bad experiences I had in cinema also taught me a lot. When my eyesight deteriorated and I was shy about wearing glasses, I hardly could see subtitles, and was guessing the meaning of actors’ lines, which were voiced in a language I didn’t know. It taught me to understand people better, to calibrate their thoughts, guided by the way they look, they intonate, by their gasps. Surprisingly this particular experience helped my career: in all jobs I have had, in area of diplomacy and international relations, when promoted, the superiors commented on my ability to understand their ideas, priorities and needs.
 
At a later age, I assimilated other important lessons from you, Monsieur Cin;ma. You have taught me to have no fears and to make uncommon actions: I mean, to act as only film-people usually act. It filled my life with impulsive journeys and competitions, joy of improvisation, parachute jumping and qualitative leaps, friendships and romances by handwritten correspondence. It made me symbolic and enthusiastic when choosing an outfit for every occasion and preparing gifts for every person I love. Sometimes people actually hint that I am too lyrical or spontaneous enough, but there is no way to deal with it: I obey the cinema’s legislation more than society’s laws. Surprise beats expectation. Overcoming is always welcome. A prolonged boredom is a taboo. Happy relationship do exist, when two people really care and have imagination. The world is really, absolutely abundant with beauty
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I’m not only cinema-gourmet but also a cinema-prude, for example I strongly dislike the word “spoiler”, because a good movie is impossible to spoil. I would suggest expression “to reveal cards” instead: this word fits because the cinema is all about flirting with spectators.

I adore watching favorite films over again. I have a dream that after death, if you were good at life, you;ll have the opportunity to watch all your own life like a film, with remote options.
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However, films actually show us that even death does not exist. People, who lived hundreds of years ago smile from the screen with their usual smiles, enchanting, inspiring you, teaching you how to behave, like they did to a few previous generations. You, Cinema, like alchemist turns base metals into silver and gold, you turn usual people, actors, into the symbols, sculptures of an age, who sooner or later achieve the harmony of comedy and tragedy.

Sometimes I feel like I am stuck in my own film: I’ve initiated some story, and then became its hostage. Recently I have been passing particulary that kind of moment in my life, Monseigneur, I was happy to know you would pay a visit to Cannes this May for a festival. 
 
I had discovered so many evident and surprising connections in this context. My short name is “Lera” which resembles “Lerins Islands” near the Cannes. My surname “Ptitsyna” stands for “Bird” or “Birdwoman”, and the author of unbelievable work “Birdman”, Alejandro Gonzales I;;rritu, progeny of yours, heads Cannes film festival Jury. The old name of Cannes, “Canua” which meant “height” also sounds encouraging for flights.
 
Since I was 13 I have preferred the auteur cinema, with its meaningful dialogues you want to engage in; with moves you want to reproduce.
It would be priceless to get in touch with your team, I mean directors, actors, costumers, soundmen. Everyone from this lovely crowd is surely a ‘wizard’, and I particularly would spell it like ‘with-art’, because a truly talented filmmaker not only creates a beautiful, interesting, unconventional story, but also encourages a spectator to join characters, to follow their way which comprises self-purification, self-knowing, self-compassion.
 
I would like to discuss with people, who love your world as strongly as I do, these eternal, timeless questions: whether films are more supposed to bring happiness, to display beauty, so that you would want to live a life and enjoy it more, or show up pain and human demons, for you to think “my life is not so bad”? Should movies be based on real or imaginary, illusive experiences? Were you feeling more connection with Isa, Teo or Marthy while watching The Dreamers? Are the films a shelter, a mirror or a laboratory? And if apocalypse comes now, I surely need to know personally some people who will have old gold movie in its devise, to make films reach another planets and civilizations.

While I am alive, free, with my two eye-cameras well-functioning, it will be so good, Monsieur, to see you there in Cannes and to confesos you my love in person.
I would assume all duties related to sharing my impressions with my compatriots from the more distant parts of the country, including via Kinopoisk, which is imbd;s analogue. My command of Spanish and Portuguese will allow me to write essays and reviews, telling about Cannes Festival to my European and Latinoamerican friends, where interest for commercial films still prevails over the art-house ones.

Three Days in Cannes sounds perfect, well, Omne Trinum perfectum. From now on it would be directly associated for me with three virtues: la Foi, l'Espoir et l'Amour - faith, hope and love.

There are also three well-known cinematographic operations. So, this essay was an “Action!”, now maybe it is turn for “Camera!” and “Light!”.