Francis Lai, the composer from Nice, has just passed away. News that will sadden many lovers of his silky melodies with their simple romanticism. And even if his most well-known pieces are film scores, you don’t need to be a film buff to realize that they are part of our world.
As for me, I will spontaneously remember A Man and a Woman, of course, but also Love Story (Oscar-winning, no less), Itinerary of a Spoiled Child (the best Lelouch), and Bolero: The Others. However, the opening theme of Midnight Cinema, The Eyes of Cinema, will remain most firmly anchored in the memories of my generation. You can also add the music to the playful song performed by Montand, The Bicycle.
But this news mainly took me back about ten years. That evening, I was in Paris, at a restaurant on Rue Montmartre, invited by the association of journalists from Nice in Paris, “La Brise de Nice,” which was then chaired by Alban Mikoczy, the current head of international services at France 2. The occasion was to present my book Fragments de Nice to the many journalists present.
After my speech and a small debate, we all sat down to dinner. Across from me was a very discreet little man with a cherubic face who played along, asking questions about my book by talking about the city of Nice, which, apparently, was his own. The more the meal progressed, the more I felt that my neighbor (who hinted that he was a musician) reminded me of someone. The mystery was cleared up when, after coffee, another guest offered to accompany… Francis. Immediately, I recognized the identity of my prestigious neighbor: of course, it was him! And so it was with a certain pride that I watched him leave with his copy of Fragments de Nice in hand.
Patrick Mottard
