Near the old village of Gennevilliers, you have these immense "barre" buildings, that had become a nightmare for the french imaginaire collectif and that's also one of the reasons why Nicolas Sarkozy won the presidency. Security first! The angry kids from the suburbs built a highway for the President's limousine... Here in Gennevilliers, once the home of Edouard Manet, there is a "quartier" called le Luth, where 10 000 souls live. Serious drug problems here, but the inhabitants react collectively against the fléau, which is great. Not exactly "against": they try to help the people who are on drugs, meeting their families. A salvation army without an army: listening, talking, doing. I hope that things are going better. And the ligne 13 of the metro will be extended soon, so the cité won't be enclaved anymore.

If you visit the old downtown Gennevilliers, it feels like eternal. Old church, old streets, old square, small houses. But the eternal seems a little bit scared: almost noone could be seen outside when I was there, near the very old church. There are 2 popular bars on this square and I chose one of them for a drink. There is this drunk man at the comptoir, his cheek is barred with a long scar, he's shouting at the bar tender, almost agressively: "I have no friends. Can you imagine, I'm almost 50 and I have no friends; no friend at all. I have no friend I can call tonight and ask: what do you do tonight? Look, it's impossible today to make a friend." I drink my Schweppes as fast as I can and leave. Sure, this man would have asked me "do you have friends?"; and what would I have answered to this serious drunk question?

This is what we call a gesture, un geste in french. Everyone can try to make a gesture, it's easy. For instance, you can take. To take is a gesture. If it's the first time that you take, you don't need to be scared. Once you'll be done with that first gesture, the second will follow. It's life. On this photo, a woman is taking something. An object that I've seen for so long without knowing what it is. It is supposed to be an egg spoon. But the problem is the hole in it. And nobody fixed that problem for so long; they still sell this wooden instrument that destroyed so many meals, so many families. Once again, a gesture is called a geste in french. To make a gesture means faire un geste. But faire un geste also means to be generous: il a fait un geste (he made a gesture) means, for instance, that he forgot about the money that someone owed to him. Or he didn't ask for more eggs.

I left my own country in Africa a while ago, due to the second rebellion that started in the army, for kicking me out. But what they got now? Instead of a pale and slim dictator, they have a black and fat one. Moreover, an armed one. Yes, it's true that I was gathering all powers in one hand, which happened to be mine. But I was never mean to anyone. We cannot consider that the hanging of the 77 generals who tried to kill me in 1993 was unfair: they got what they deserved. And to make it a public TV broadcast prevented the population for trying to do other acts like this. Yes, my leadership was a time of benediction for my country. Everyone had food, peace and security. I know that many of the people do regret me. This is why I want to let them know that I'm about to start a new country in France (somewhere around the Larzac), and if they want to join, I will make them room. We need more hands for establishing our domination on this new land. "Justice always won and always will."

Apart from being one the most gifted illustrator I know, my future wife is also a great photographer. Here is one picture she made in Paris, a possible game that everybody could play in every city. Let's call it FAKE VIEW. The aim is to take an image from a park as if it was in the countryside. The smallest the park is, the widest the image is, the best it is. The photo has to carry this countryside atmosphere / illusion, that takes you far out of the city. On this image, you can find 2 clues that show the urban surroundings; one claiming clearly the location.

Making a film allows you to meet many of your heroes in a short time. Two days ago I was filming in Angelo Badalamenti's house. Today... Who are the today heroes?

1.) The Bee Gees
2.) U2
3.) Momus
4.) Le Soleil est près de moi
5.) The Beastie Boys

Additionnal flowers spread on the grass by Florence Manlik.

The little boy Alexander Gosling's feet and William Carlos Williams's house in Rutherford, NJ (with Edward, from Edward & Edwyn).

The far away New Jersey's house of Angelo Badalamenti, sitting in an emptied train, while the rain falls like falls. Waiting for him with his assistant Daniel in his first house, which is a studio with 4 rooms (this is where Lynch sleeps when he comes around here) at Lincoln Park. When Angelo showed up, I asked if we could film in his private house, for I wanted to make it warmer then the "musician talk surrounded by computers and keyboards" image. He not only said ok, he did for his old friend Jean-Jacques an incredibly generous interview and a fabulous piano performance, playing a beautiful and moving version of Visa to the Stars, that he co-composed in 65. Then meeting Ed and Ed (Edwyn and Edward) and heading to Rutherford, where they live. We saw the doctor's William Carlos William's house, which is still a doctor's house. There was a blackberry tree in the garden, I never saw that kind of tree in France. I picked some fruits to plant them in Paris, so that I could grow a Williams's tree at our place. At the library (open until late), we were shown a Ruterford's memory book. A woman recalled doctor Williams, the pediatrician, when she was a kid, how he made her forget about the long needle by reassuring her. I always say that if my family didn't exploded as I was 12, I would have become a doctor. Later with Ed and Ed, at the River's cafe under the Brooklyn bridge. I was facing the wall poster I have in my Paris studio, recording the sound of this extraordinary and magic place at night. On my poster, the 2 towers are still there. New York is still such a great and beautiful city, our friends are still extraordinary people. Thanks to you, Karinchan and the 2 Eds!

While I'm staying in New York with our good friend Karin Komoto, filming (today) Gershon Kingsley, meeting with Joel Chadabe, going tomorrow to Lincoln Park (NJ) for filming Angelo Badalamenti, who used to work with Jean-Jacques Perrey in the sixties for a children program called Captain Kangaroo, then visiting Paterson and Rutherford (NJ too) with our good friends Edwyn and Edward for making a pilgrimage in the cities of 2 poets, Ginsberg and William Carlos Williams, it rains outside.

Check Les Cahiers de Benjy (link).