THE END

Henry’s second novel, written like his first, under a pen name, had done well. It had won prizes and was translated into dozens of languages. Henry was invited to book launches and literary festivals around the world; countless schools and book clubs adopted the book; he regularly saw people reading it on planes and trains; Hollywood was set to turn it into a movie; and so on and so forth.

Béatrice and Virgil, Yann Martel, 2010

Ang Lee in Pondicherry

As It's a closing ceremony. I'm going to talk about the director of "Life of Pi".

To restart everything like the beginning of the book (life of Pi).

Ang Lee, a Taiwanese American film directed who won two Oscars award in the 20th century, was shooting his 3Dfilm in Pondy. His crew and him worked a lot..
They even picked some actors from our school, we're too glad to see them in his film, after a year.He said in the press that Puducherry is a beautiful city even when it's dark and also he agreed with the writer of the book that he's chosen this town in South-India for good reasons. Further the director picked 2 artists whom won the Padma Shri this year (it's a great shot to India).

Let's say with the hope for the victory the film should succeed as the book written by Yann Martel.

Sivapriya and Vasenty

Pi's cousin

On Monday 14 february, we had a visitor in class. He was acting as Pi's cousin in the movie. He studies here in the Lycee.
He went to Munar for three days for the shooting. He traveled for two days in total. The first day he had to wake up at nine because they were tired. On the second day they woke up at four and on the third day at three. The shootings lasted till five or six in the afternoon. He had to wear make up for the first time of his life, and was dressed like in the seventies and had to be on a horse and play cricket. He didn't have a text to say, he only needed to be there.
One morning he woke up at 4 for the shooting and it was -3 degres and in the afternoon it was 35 degres. He really liked the lunch and the dinners, it was a buffet. He had a good experience there and wishes to have another chance to be in a movie but as the main caracter this time.

special effects

We are going to present you special the effects in the movie that you may not know.

Have you ever heard about special effect make-up? Actually it's a kind of make-up and hair-work with technologies of mold-making and synthethic skin materials... ( sylicons...)

Then, you might have heard that there are tigers in the movie but did you know that they aren't real tigers... Yep, they are made with graphic images but they seem to be so real that you can't realise they are 3D tigers... Technology is very advanced, cameras are very specifics, so we are awaiting for the movie release... let's wait and watch ^^ !

Ovi & AureL'

Life of Pi : level upgraded

Hi friends! Nice to meet you again after such a long time!
Do you know that a shooting is going on in Pondy about "Life of Pi"? Yes, "Life of Pi" has been shot in Pondy for 5 weeks. Directed by the oscar award winner director Ang Lee, it stars with Suraj Sharma. Many peoples of our school are acting in this film: our English teacher, art teacher and some students.

There are eight real tigers which are acting in this film. The film is shot in many places in Pondy: in the botanical garden, the ashram, the Petit-Seminaire... All the peoples who are acting in this film are having the 60's costumes, hair styles, make-ups and accessories. The director of this film wants to be too perfect with this film that he also changed the vehicles.

So in Pondy, in some streets, if you are lucky, you can see all those peoples of the 60's on their cycles!!!!

Pi's cousin

On Monday morning, our friend Prabuddha came to talk to us about the shooting of "life of Pi" he did in Munar during three days.
The first day, they travelled by plane, Jet Airways. The plane was full with crew members. Once in Munar, he had to wear make up but he didn't like the idea of wearing make up, then he also had to ride a horse and play cricket. His second day started early, at 4 am and finished at 5 because they had to shoot before sunset. The last day, he had to get up at 3 am because they had to take the bus to go somewhere else. Everyday he had to ride a horse in different places. His character didn't have a text to say but he had to pretend to be talking.
Our friend told us that the lunch was exeptionally good.
He was very happy that he got a part in the movie and had the chance to get shortlisted.

We are all waiting impatiently for the coming out of the movie !!!

Ang Lee wants a zoo in Puducherry

Ang Lee, an Oscar winning director and producer of his new film "Life of Pi", has demanded the Puducherry governement to set up a zoo in the city so that the tourists who come to Puducherry can visit it.

During a press conference, the crewsaid that they put up a zoo but temporarily at the Botanical Garden so that they could shoot some sequences in the movie. When the movie will be released, tourists will search for the zoo in the town and they would be very sad because of its absence.

The crew is also leaving some of their sets like plants and props.

One third of the movie is shot in Puducherry and it will be released world wide so the tourists

will be attracted by the the town.

Vicneche And Karan

It was raining on Gandhi street!

One saturday afternoon of a sunny January day, the staff of "Life of Pi" was standing on Gandhi street. They had blocked all the traffic: no cars, no bikes, no one could be in the street because of the shooting.

This scene was the one when Pi the hero is coming in Petit Séminaire school. In the street, people wore clothes from the 60' s. There were also old cars from this period.

Ang Lee, the director of the film, wanted this scene to be rainy. So all the technicians had installed long pipes on the terraces of all the houses boarding the street and they sprayed water all over the street during the shooting.

It was amazing to see the rain on Gandhi street on a shiny saturday of January!

Guillaume and Vikram

Life of Pi: Extras

A film is a big work.
Every little scene is done with precision. Every little character has to be perfect.
Some Europeans of our school have been shot in the movie: Mme Mathis, Mme Cora and her sons, Sashka Bolant, Anna Grésillon…etc.
And I got the opportunity to learn things on the movie by interviewing Mme Cora.

What was your role in the film?
I was a woman riding a bicycle. I had to speak with a young lady who was also riding a bicycle next to me.
In which scene did you act?
It was a little scene. The camera shot the road full of Europeans.
Where did it take place?
The scene took place in Bussy street, at the corner where is the building “Travaux Publics”, in front of the “Pizzeria au feu de bois”.
Why were you selected?
I was selected because of my long blond hair and because I am a European. In fact I was shot from behind!
Were you made up?
Yes, I was! They put me a bun.
Were you paid?
Of course, yes!
Can you say us interesting things on the scene?
They shot the scene 2 days and twenty times, to get a particular sunlight which covers the road. It was shot at night. It is a scene which takes places in the fifties. So, they painted the road in black and removed the white strips, the footpaths were covered with plastic and then painted, the electric cables were removed, and canons were set. I know almost all the persons who acted with me, except few ones including the young lady next to me. I learned that she was a doctor. The pizzeria was renamed as “le café de Pondichéry”.
Do you know? I was absent 2 days at school because of the shooting!
What did Mme Mathis do?
Mme Mathis was a lady who was sitting near the pizzeria for many hours! She had to speak with a woman.
What did your sons do?
Roman was dressed in a uniform. He was sat in a rickshaw pulled by the arms. Bogdan and Alan acted as if they were visiting a zoo, but there was no zoo, it will be put by graphics! And Milan was walking on a road.
What did Sashka and Anna do?
Sashka and Anna walked on the road but I think the scene has been removed because in the fifties girls don’t walk on the road alone and with big heels!
How was that experience?
It is an extraordinary experience for me. I learned that a scene taken in 2 days appears only 15 seconds on screen, and many other things on the shooting of a movie that I can share with my students. For example they take care on the sunlight.
Did you see Ang Lee?
Yes, I saw him.
What do you think about him?
He is someone mythical, who won many prizes. He focuses so much on what he does and he is very involved in is films.
Was Pi here?
Pi was not here because it is a tiny scene.
Do you think the film will be a success?
A great one! I am sure that the film will get many awards.
I thank very much Mme Cora to have spent time for me. Mme Sandra said that the payment of the tiny characters depends on the distance from the camera: her daughter Sashka was paid 500 rupees. I am waiting for the film release to see that particular scene. Ady Canimozhi

yan martel

Yann Martel was born on June 25, 1963 in Salamanca, Spain. He is a Canadian writer (Quebec and Saskatchewan). He is best known for his novel "Life of Pi", the original English version has won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction (Booker Prize). His father is Emile Martel. He traveled around the world. After studying philosophy at Trent University, he began a literary career at 27 years old. And he wrote a book entitled "Life of Pi". To prepare this book he stayed 6 months in India and he visited lots of temples. He is currently studying zoology and the 3 major religions (Hindouism , Islamism and Christianism). THE AIM OF THIS BOOK IS TO MAKE US BELIEVE IN GODS.

Ang Lee, the director of Life of Pi

Hi Friends,
So now we are going to talk to you about Ang Lee, the director of Life of Pi. He's a taiwanese director, an actor, a writer and a producer. He was born on 23 of october 1954 in Chaochou, now he is 56 years old. He got married with Jane Lin and he has two sons: Han Lee and Mason Lee. When he was young he was interrested in drama and arts so he studied in many schools and he learned all about film making. He did many films and won many Oscars, many BATFA and, many Golden Globe awards. Now he's directing Life of Pi, a novel of Yann Martel, on a boy named Pi and his experience on zoology and on philosophy. Some shoots of this film are taken in India mainly at Pondicherry, Munnar, then others are take in Taiwan. Many actors are participating in this film some French people are also acting in this movie. It's a 3D film! So we are waiting just like you to see the film!

Shanbhag Jannhavi 3eme2 and Manicame Sivasankari 3eme3.

Jobs

There's so much to do on a film set.
Could you name these people's jobs? (use the comments for your answers)

And of course, all these jobs are all equally important!

Local customs are important too, that's why "chai wallas" were also present on the set!!! (no photo taken though, but chai was good!)

Life of Pi, the film

So far we have been writing about the book Life of Pi, now it's time to talk about the film, you may already know, shooting in our beautiful city has started and has ended, sadly. But, hopefuly, some people from the school have acted in the movie! Lucky! Even if they just passed by, they surely did enjoy acting. One of the main things we would like to talk about is the director, Ang Lee. He was born on October 23rd 1954, in Pingtung, in Taiwan. He is known all around the world as a director, screen play writer, as an actor, as an editor and as a producer, he even got the Oscar for the best director in 2005, for the film Brokeback Moutain. Now let's come to the main point, what kind of director is Ang Lee? Well after we had a conversation with a mystery friend, we can say he is a great director, because he wants everything to be perfect, can you imagine that he even wanted that the pages of a book in the movie should be like pages in 1970. He is vulnerable to the smallest details and he wants the public to become a character of the movie, he wants to turn virtual to real, that makes him a great director. Of course we are not going to reaveal everything about the movie, that will break the suspense. It is also sad to say that this might be our last article.

Ismaïl, Radja

Raining cats and dogs!

Did you notice how much it rained in Gandhi street last Saturday afternoon?
Petit Séminaire students got really wet!

Funny because there was not a single cloud in the sky...

Must have been the Hollywood effect!

(Did you notice the sprinklers?)