2011 film

Sidonie Perceval, an established French writer, is mourning her deceased husband. Invited to Japan for the reedition of her first book, she is welcomed by her local editor who takes her to Kyoto, the city of shrines and temples. As they travel together through the Japanese spring blossoms, she slowly opens up to him. But the ghost of her husband follows Sidonie: she will have to finally let go of the past to let herself love again.

Mavie is 27 years old and has just moved to the French capital from the provinces. She dreams of a future as a writer but is plagued by doubt and uncertainty. 76-year-old misanthrope Georges runs a bookshop in Paris – or has he merely been forced to take refuge there to escape his past? These are two peculiar creatures indeed. Georges is cynical and no longer expects much from life, while Mavie is still brimming with expectation. Yet something magical happens between them, until Georges' dark secret suddenly catches up with him – and Mavie is caught up in something very different... Director Elise Girard succeeds in making a dreamlike film full of surprising absurdities. It’s not just love that appears out of the blue for the two protagonists, but also some quite literal strange birds. Girard depicts love beyond the barriers of age in a way that is both unexpected and moving, romantic instead of physical, timeless instead of fashionable. The film reminds us of the multifaceted nature of love as well as how fleeting it can be, existing not yesterday or tomorrow but above all in the present.