love - it ain't just for valentine's day

thoughts on film La Vie En Rose: biography of Édith Piaf

Soundtrack of my childhood: my mom singing "La Vie En Rose" - a song made popular by Édith Piaf (a French cultural and fashion icon, & highly recognized singer). As childhood memories often do, that song fell victim to the passing of time - until I ran across a film entitled La Vie En Rose a few weeks ago. Subtitles or not, it was time I gave the lady behind that song a shot. Some two hours later I was left feeling inspired, inferior, motivated & in awe all at once; a conversation towards the end of the film still resonated in my ears:

Interviewer: If you were to give advice to a woman, what would it be?

Édith: Love

Interviewer: To a young girl?

Édith: Love

Interviewer: To a child?

Édith: Love

Édith Piaf was plagued with continuous struggles (click here for further info) but instead of embracing the victimization status one would readily grant her, she fought for better. While talent is lost in the best of us, Édith made sure never to get lost. Her compass? Simply - love.

Love wasn't a concept celebrated on a circled day in Édith's calendar; it was a natural constant. La Vie En Rose's understated but poignant theme was how love - love beyond word & definition itself; love encompassing all realms of life - gave Édith a reason to live, a reason to succeed & a reason achieve her dreams: a true love story. In contrast to her unapologetically brash & rebellious personality was her ability to love life unconditionally; the people closest & most influential to her growth as a woman (positive or negative), the true love she found in a man, the love of her music, & the love of life around her. This love she allowed for herself to feel afforded her strength in a life seemingly destined for poverty.

Édith Piaf is now an inspiration of my own & in true full circle, may not have been discovered if not for the love she passed on to my mother of music. Maybe it was never an aspiration of Édith's to be inspiration for others, but what an amazing presence of a life in the ability to touch generations past your own. Her life was vulgar & naive, run of the mill & traumatic...but it was made extraordinary because of her love of love.

This was an amazing movie - subtitles & all. Check it out if you enjoy biographical films that focus on the realities of life & success.

listen to La Vie En Rose in english

listen to La Vie En Rose in french

always,

-nic.