dîner et un film

Last night, Caitlin and I ventured into Sarlat for un dîner et un film, a dinner and a movie. There was a sneak peak preview of the most critically acclaimed Des hommes et des dieux, "Of Gods and Men". This movie premiered at Cannes and won the Grand Prix award, which is the second most prestigious award of the festival. But more about the movie in a bit, let me tell you about dinner.

After wandering and eying menus for what my stomach felt like ages, we finally decided to settle into Le Bistrot, quaintly situated in front of the large Cathedral.

Part of the Cathedral dates back to the 9th century, but it wasn't until the 1600s till it was completed and you get to see what is in the picture in front of you. It is still used quite frequently for weddings and funerals in the area, sometimes causing a major traffic jam of people as you try to sneak your way by. Luckily for us, no such events were going on, and we were treated to some soft organ music echoing out from the hall.

We were promptly sat outside and told the waiter we had a movie to make. Often, it is really difficult, if not just short of impossible to have a quick meal here. Which, most of the time is much appreciated, as we never feel rushed to finish so they can turn the table for the next guest. But here, they were happy to comply with our quick request and we submitted our orders. I ordered the Parmentier de Confit de Canard, then ran quickly down to the movie theater to buy our tickets, since we were afraid it might be a sold out show. When I returned I was greeted by this:

A lot like a shepards pie, but much, much better. The duck confit was gently layered at the bottom of the pan, covered with potatoes, and a layer of cheese, that is so delicately browned as you see in the photo.  Served with a small side salad, and paired nicely with a glass of Malbec wine, it is another amazingly comforting, and overly delicious dish. You can find a recipe here but that does not call for the cheese layer on the top, which I think is a must! So I found a different recipe for those who want to try it out. I would suggest a combination of the two, just take a look and see what you like!

We finished our meal just minutes before the movie was supposed to open. Luckily, the theater was very close ( as I had learned when I ran to buy the tickets), and since we had pre-purchased, we zipped right in front of the massive line that had formed out front and found our seats.

It seemed very coincidental that we ate dinner in front of a Cathedral as the film is based on a true story of nine Trappist Monks that live in the monastery of Tibhirine, which is settled up in the Algerian mountains.All of the monks were French, but they had been living very peacefully with the Muslim villagers and the story follows their life while the Algerian Civil War starts to increase and evidently, they get caught up in the middle of it. The wikipedia article is very interesting and the French wikipedia article (translated!) is even better, but they both do tell you what happens. Though, as it is a true story, some of you may know what happens already.

Sadly for me, my French speaking skills get maxed out after I read a menu, and since I was seeing a French film in a French cinema, there was no English subtitles. But with some knowledge of what it was about beforehand, I was able to follow along and understand what was going on. But the beauty of this film, and why I think it won the award at Cannes, was the incredible cinematography-the still shots and the panoramic views. It was also very emotional without any words needing to be said. The monk's expressions, their actions, their prayers and hymns, were all so powerful and moving that words did not need to be spoken. 

 I wish I could tell to you all the release date for the movie in the United States, but I can't seem to find it anywhere I am looking online. But, remember the official movie poster I included above and go see it when it comes out. At best, rent it or find it on Netflix to see at home. It is a very compelling film, that is worth every penny to see.