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What is like to live in the locked world of autism?  Trish Thalman reviews the film "A Still Jacket"  which explores the issue through the eyes of a 26 year old man called Roman living in the Jura hills. Trish says this is "a breathtakingly beautiful aspect of learning about the 'locked in life' of Autism with spectacular visuals". This film will be repeated tomorrow Sunday at the 14:30 at the Capit0le Cinema 1 Share the truth” Roman communicates, “I want to be known for more than just a person with autism” when he is asked how he would like to be portrayed in the film.  Thus begins the exquisitely beautiful, powerful and intimate film of a handsome, 26 year old man who has never said a word during his life, but understands every word said to him. He lives on a working farm in the Jura Mountains, along with other autistic young men and women, and the professionals who work lovingly and honestly with him, as they endeavour to help Roman touch the outer world. With his manual skills, he is able to ‘muck out’ the cowsheds, vacuum his room, and work in the forest splitting small logs for firewood to be used on the farm and for sale. Progress and new learning comes with an introduction to learn how to use a chain saw to cut larger logs from the fallen trees. This takes time, repetition, scolding, personal conflict and heartfelt patience by the Xaver, the instructor/ therapist, who eventually ensures that Roman is able to use the chainsaw correctly. Roman loves the video camera Roman has been given a video camera by the filmmaker as ‘part of the deal’ to making this film about his life. Roman loves the video camera and especially likes to ‘be filmed’. We see his captivating photography portraying the simplicity and often, the inner chaos of his life.  One sequence that he films at night, while in a fluorescent-lit train car, provides a surreal shambles of colour, light and sound, all topsy-turvy as the video camera is pointed in no particular direction. Is that what Roman sees and wants to communicate to us in his attempt to be socially connected rather than isolated? Perhaps Roman is not so isolated and lacking in emotional nothingness. At one point he is disciplined for not respecting the personal space of one of his chainsaw team members. When asked why he aggressed the young man, Roman replies that he “wants to have a boyfriend”, a close connection with another person. The constant noise and activity of daily life on the farm, chainsaw training, the repetitive sounds and patterned movements of Roman’s anxious, regressive moments, are captured in Roman’s own videos and Giger’s sensitive close-ups of him and the people surrounding his furious life. Perhaps a ‘Still Jacket’ would release the fury.  The sumptuous, realistic photography incorporating extensive use of natural lighting along with the serene shots of the snow-dusted, Winter-through-Spring season in the Jura countryside, brings a welcome calmness to the portrait of a young man living a life within himself.  This film is directed by Ramon Giger and is in the  "Helvetique category" of films A film of the highest quality and sensitivity, laced with humour, that provides a face-to-face openness with the little known, much less understood, life of one person living within autism. Trish Thalman is an American from California living  in Gland and will be reviewing films throughout the Visions du Réel festival.  Photo above: courtesy Visions du Réel

This film review of Hula and Natan directed by Robby Elmaliah, is a film " not to be missed" according to Trish Thalman.  This film will be shown today Monday 11 April 2011 at the Capitole 2 – 18:00 Hula and Natan We live just to die”, complains the growling, morose, kind and dissipated Hula, after a ‘Colour Red’ alert is sounded that warns of incoming Qassam Rockets. The, mostly, homemade Hamas rockets are being launched from Gaza and arrive in Sderot, Israel, which is close to the Gaza/Israel border. Hula then jokes “they are giving me back all the metal I sold to them”. Hula and his brother Natan have a car repair ‘shop’ (shop is certainly a loose term) in Sderot. It is in fact, a scruffy, overgrown dusty field with junked out cars spread about like metal toys, random piles of iron, metal, old car batteries -  just about everything, in no particular order. The ‘office’ is an ancient, grimy caravan where business conversations and foul-language, spiteful arguments go on-and-on between the two men. Black, oily hands from years of working on cars, have turned the doors, walls, everything, into a colour of greasy grey mixed with tobacco smoke yellow. It’s a love-hate relationship between the two brothers and they give as good as they get. In fact, it’s the sensitive, loving friendship between them that keeps the business ‘going’. They have been at their ‘car repair shop’ for nearly 30 years and it is their ‘home’. They are well known, loved and despised at the same time. There is an animal family at ‘the shop’ of beloved cats, dogs, a donkey, roosters and chickens who are healthy and extremely well cared for. Even the animals look up to the sky when the ‘color red’ alerts are announced.  Both men have had unhappy marriages.  Hula has been divorced for 13 years, and laments, “ but I have never left my wife”.  Some of his happier moments are when he is with his wife’s son, Aaron, from a relationship she had after the divorce. Natan is separated from his wife and two children. His wife harasses him endlessly on the phone about needing money.  He remains separated and cannot come to grips with getting a divorce. This is cause for many arguments between the two brothers, berating each other about the fact that they have had no joy in their lives or love. They do have a long list of prostitutes names whom they often visit. An eviction notice arrives - again! An eviction notice arrives – again!  This is an on-going process in their lives. The huge crane and trucks arrive to take away all the old cars that are sitting around in the dirt and weeds. In principle, the land is to be cleared and their ‘car repair shop’ is to cease business.  By law, their caravan and other piles of ‘who-knows-what’ is not subject to the eviction notice.  Cars eventually return and the ‘repair shop’ remains in business. For the Independence Day celebration, the two brothers visit a barber together and get their scruffy hair cut and long, unkempt beards shaved off. Pleased with their images, they smile at themselves and each other. They are ready for a day of celebration together and return to the, currently,  empty ‘car repair shop’ caravan and animals. This truly tragicomic story, is joyful and spirited, in spite of their situation with their business, and tense situations with Hamas in-coming fire. They get on with their lives employing a mixture of sullenness, despair, hope, joy, humour and genuine brotherly love for each other. What all religions ask of us. The young filmmaker Robby Elmaliah has created a film about real life provided by two indomitable spirits.  For a few minutes, we focus on people and not the dangerous political situation that exists in the Southern part of Israel.  This is a film not to be missed.

La Cuerda Floja – The Tight Rope -  An intimate and beautifully filmed story of people with "circus in their blood". Film review by Trish Thalman. This film can be seen again on Sunday night 18 April at 22:00 at the Capitole 2 cinema in Nyon. “What people want to see at a circus is a clown, animals and trapeze artists”. The wise words of the ‘clown/ringmaster’ who is head of the family-run, travelling Aztlan Circus in Mexico. Their show has all of the above. Everyone in the family is dedicated to defined, multi-tasking roles: from animal trainer, to ticket taker, to trapeze artist. We see an intimate and beautifully filmed story of people with ‘circus in their blood’ as they go about their daily lives, moving from town to dusty town in rusted vans and trucks creaking from the weight of the tent poles, miles of ropes, an aging canvas tent, the hair-sprayed ‘pink’ poodle that rides a pony, and a talented goat that rehearses every day and therefore does well at each performance. Practice and more practice for every one of the circus performers is daily routine. The ingrained philosophy is: "ability conquers danger". This keeps the circus disciplined, honourable and energetic. Click here to see trailer: film courtesy Instituto Mexicano de Cine The details devoted to raising the tent, caring for the animals, preparing beans for breakfast in the cramped, converted bus that is the family home, scrambling to find false eyelashes and rhinestones at the last minute for the trapeze artist are reflected in lingering, slow-moving shots as well as the frantic, blurred vision of ‘last minute details’ from the hand-held camera. The variety of colours, warm and luminous, dark and dreary, provide sensitive insight to the realities, passion and energy of the harsh, yet dignified and honest circus life, which is changing.The daughter of the family has married a young man who comes ‘into’ the performing family and is not necessarily talented in the skills of circus acts. He does have modern technology skills, as he happily downloads the musical overture from the classic 1952 film, ‘The Greatest Show on Earth, onto his iPod. The music is used as background for his noisy, voice-over, recorded publicity announcing that ‘the circus is in town’. Life under the big top and on-the-road is not for him. He would like to leave the circus in spite of his love and great respect for his wife and her family, and his improving juggling skills. The filmmaker is given free and unlimited access to the family and their sensitive life events during the critical stages where the young couple discuss leaving the circus to live another life together without the family. The confusing emotions of the daughter’s loyalty to her family and love for the circus that is her life, and practically, the consequences for the family’s existence without her are poignantly and tenderly resolved. Do the young couple have the ability to conquer the dangers that lie ahead for them outside of the circus. Even with the ever-present red ants that bite everyone at the circus ground, there is a cheerful, humorous solution: rub raw garlic on the bite to stop the stinging. This elegantly crafted film can be seen again on Sunday night 18 April at 22:00 at the Capitole 2 Cinema in Nyon. Trish Thalman is an American from California living in Gland, near Nyon and will be reviewing a selection of films throughout the festival.

A great film to kick off the Visions du Réel festival  - "Kampf der Königinnen" - "The fight of the Queens"  This film will be shown again tonight Friday 22:30 at the Capitole Cinema 1 and Wednesday 13 at 18:30 at the Usine A Gaz. Remember there is a new ticketing system for the festival this year and you can now buy your tickets on line in advance to ensure a seat. Alternatively, you can buy them at the box offices at the Salle Communale or the Théâtre du Marens or Usine a Gaz . The film is in German with subtitles in English and French. The "Avant Première" of the film   "The Fight of the Queens" -  "Kampf der Königinnen"   directed by Nicolas Steiner kicked off Visions du Réel on Wednesday night at the Theatre du Marens to an almost full house. At the screening, the directors and production crew were on hand to answer questions posed by Luciano Barisone, the festival director. When Steiner was asked why he had chosen the subject of the cow fighting as a documentary, he replied that when he was a young boy, if  he asked his friends to go out cycling or play basketball with him on the same day of the cow fight, they never wanted to go with him, they wanted to be at the big event. Initially he wasn't interested in it at all, but  curiosity got the better of him, he went along, he then became interested in the Swiss tradition and consequently decided to film it.  This is not a barbaric fight If you have never been to a "Combat des Reines" and you too are curious, and want to see what it is all about and discover a bit more about Switzerland, then this film is for you.  This fight, between two cows done in the public eye in an arena with over 10,000 spectators, is not barbaric. It is not bullfighting between man and bull with blood spilled or a crowd baying for blood. This is simply a confrontation between two animals in which the animal's natural instinct is to defend its pasture, and each year a series of these cow competitions takes place in the Valais region of this country. The film begins in the interior of a cow shed with a farmer feeding and fattening his cow in preparation for the fight. In enters a small child, barely a toddler he stands near the animal and the farmer lets him feed him. This image of the tiny child and the massive beast together is one of many lovely images that appear throughout the film. Check the  trailer out  on the site to see a great slow motion shot simply of a cow opening and closing one eye. Photo above: Courtesy Visions du Réel. We see local boys getting ready to go to the competition chatting about their motorbikes, and the girls that they hope will be there at the arena. We are also introduced to a radio reporter on his way to the fight, a townie from Zurich who knows nothing about the tradition but thinks it might be worth a look in and reporting on. Quiet scenes gradually bring us into the noise and bustle of the arena itself where hundreds of farmers are gathered with their cows tethered. Cows snorting , cows scratching the ground, cows being weighed and a number painted on their flanks to enter into the competition. Cows called "Shakira", cows called "Melancholy" all waiting for their turn in the ring. The cows are at the centre of this film but its the owners of the cows that are the star turn: the young farmer who is anxious for his cow to win; the pretty young farmer who is ecstastic when her cow qualifies for the next round, the quiet farmer whose sweatshirt is emblazoned with a list of the winning years his cow has won the competition. There are some wonderful portrayals of individuals. Children climb in and out of pick up trucks, teenage boys flirt with girls The day of the fight is also Mother's Day, so to honour it, a line of men in jeans and checked shirts unfurl a banner in the centre of the stadium on which is written " Happy Mother's Day" while the MC shouts out the same over the loudspeaker. Whether this really is a mum's idea of a good day out to celebrate her day is anybody's guess, but the crowd seem happy, and it's a family occasion. They queue up for ice creams, children climb in and out of pick up trucks, teenage boys flirt with girls and try to blend in with the real men in the beer tent. The cinematography and music to the narrative climax are both superb, the final fight a visual treat. When it is finished and the winners are announced, we the audience want the owners of the cows to win as much as they do. When the results are announced we are happy. Yet there is no whooping or screaming from the winners, there is the occasional high five between fellow farmers, the hug of a family member and then it's time to receive the enormous cow bell prize, to pack up and quietly go back up with their beloved animals to the mountain villages until next year.

This year Living in Nyon is delighted to have two reviewers  at Visions du Réel. Trish Thalman (who reviewed films for this site last year) and newcomer Kathy Morf. They will both be giving their reviews of the films that they have seen at the festival. Many of these reviews will be of films that will be shown again so keep checking the site on a daily basis to see what's coming up. The first review from Kathy is of  "Born under Z"  which will be shown tonight  8th April at 20:00  at the Capitole 2 Cinema.   This film is a world premiere here in Nyon. Kathy says "this is a deeply moving film and door to the past of what really happened to one of the 5,000 children that was separated from his Vietnamese mother and sent to France in 1954 and definitely worth seeing". Children sent to France to strengthen the Motherland A ship filled 5,000 children leaves the Saigon harbour (actual Ho Chi Minh City). It is 1954 after the fall of Diên Biên Phu, Vietnam. The French are sending home carefully selected, healthy children to France. They are needed to strengthen the motherland. These half-cast Indochinese children’s French blood overpowers the Vietnamese blood and gives them the right become a French citizen.  Robert Vaesa is one of the children sent to France at the age of ten. He lived with Vietnamese mother and knew his French father for two years before he was injured and sent back to France. Robert is sent to a strict Catholic boarding school with other half-caste children like himself. They are taught in French and little by little loose their Vietnamese identity to be replaced with a French one. Robert recalls having received everything a child could need: food, clothes and an education. The only thing that was missing was a family. Waiting in vain by the school gate for his mother Robert's mother, Mrs. Khiem worked for the French. When Robert is first sent to boarding school she comes to visit him every Sunday. He waits for her by the gate every week. As the months go by she comes less and then no more. He still waits for her every Sunday until he is forced to realize that she will not come again and that he is now alone. He is deeply hurt and feels abandoned.  Today Robert now lives in France with his wife and ttwo children. He slowly begins to reveal the separation with his mother that he has, until now, buried deep down. He never knew if he even had any relatives. He never saw his father again and grew up in an orphanage in France. His French cousins tried to locate him for years, having heard of him through their uncle, Roberts father. They searched under the name Vaeza (with a z) but couldn’t find anyone. His name had been intentionally changed to Vaesa (with an s) to blur out any hope of ever finding a family member. When the older cousin retires she redoubles her search efforts and finally locates Robert. She leaves him a message asking if he could be the long lost cousin they have been looking for. Robert makes the trip to meet the family he never knew existed. The camera follows a gentle but shy man that hesitantly walks towards these strangers who warmly welcome him.  Cousin Sylvia explains that when she was sick her mother gave her a box of photos to look at as a girl. She discovers Roberts picture and asks her mother who the Vietnamese boy is. When she finds that he has been ripped away from his mother and sent to France she feels a great injustice. As a teenager she begins her search to find him and does not give up until 50 years later. Robert listens carefully to his newfound family and begins to remember the past he tried to forget so long ago. He never told his children about his previous life. A door to the past has been opened   A party is organized with some of the Indochinese orphaned children. He hasn’t seen them in over 40 years. They exchange stories of their childhood and how they remember playing together. A door to the past has been opened. Robert travels to Paris, visits the overseas archives and finds his file. He stares at a picture of himself as a young boy and chuckles. He cannot understand why he was abandoned if he was not bad looking and had been well behaved. What had he done wrong? He discovers a letter written by his mother to the school asking for his news. He looks hurt that this information never reached him while he waited in vain by the school gates week after week for his mother to visit.  He walks along the streets of Paris searching for links to the Indochinese colonial past in sculptures, buildings and street names. He tries to understand what happened 50 years ago and begins reading books about the children of the colonial past. He is shocked to learn that the departure of the ship that he was on was well planned in advance. France was doing them a favour by saving them and bringing them “home”.   He meets veteran soldiers that served in the French army at the time. They reveal to him how they were first struck by the appalling poverty and how the army was cruel and unjust with the locals. Pretty Vietnamese women were forced into prostitution. It was a custom for many of the soldiers to marry a local woman, even if just for a month.  He feels foreign in his own country Half a century after his departure, Robert is ready to travel to Vietnam with his wife and children. As he steps out of the taxi in the busy, noisy and colourful streets of Ho Chi Minh he does not recognize anything. He searches the streets he once knew for sings of his early childhood. An elderly Vietnamese man helps him and asks the locals if they remember any of the places Roberts draws on paper out of his memory. He looks at the boarding school, Catholic Church, French prison, streets and buildings he once knew and does not recollect anything. He feels foreign in his own country as if he does not belong here or really in France. His biggest wish is to find his mother: to hold her and to tell her that he is not angry with her anymore and that he forgives her for what happened which was out of their control. Film directed by Frédérique Pollet Royer - France/ Belgium 75 minutes length  Kathy Morf works as a graphic designer in Geneva. She loves to travel and write about her adventures on her blog (click on link )  kathyand theworld . She grew up in Quebec, Canada and moved to Switzerland at seventeen. Her love for writing encouraged her join the Geneva Writers’ Group and a small critique group that meets once a month. She is currently taking an online journalism course and will travel to London this spring for a travel writing class.

Les Arbitres / The Referees  by Jean Libon and Yves Hinant in cooperation with UEFA Film review by Trish Thalman Michel Platini never had a red card.  It’s true! The iconic French International Football Team member and then manager, Juventus player, and now President of UEFA, Michel Platini gleefuly states his claim of ‘no red card’ to a large group of smiling and relaxed, professional European football referees gathered in Vienna at a kick-off event for the June 2008 UEFA European Cup Championship. He nervously said he had never been in the presence of “so many referees at one time”. What follows is an exciting, fast-paced, lively, ‘passion-for-football’ film at the June 2008 European Cup Championship which was shared between Switzerland and Austria. It's not a film focussing on the young, highly talented, sometimes handsome, (not always disciplined ) well-paid football players. What we see is an accessible film relating the impressive and surprising insight into the lives of the world-class, well trained, extremely fit, mature and emotionally disciplined referees, who make the important and final decisions about the rules of playing ‘the beautiful game’. These referees are the generally unacknowledged, often threatened, men on and off the field, who spend their professional careers running backwards, while looking forward, reaching into their shirt pocket to pull out the dreaded red or yellow card, writing a name in their pocket notebooks, or standing very tall and still, firm jaw, arm extended with finger pointing to the exit tunnel and ordering a player or team manager ‘out, get out’. Using modern recording technology, the referees and their assistants (the ‘trios’) wear radios and headsets, so we have the ‘front row experience’ of hearing uncensored swearing, out-of-breath players yelling at a referee in their native language (what did he say?), and personal conversations between referee and assistants during the matches making sure they agree on the calls. The filmmakers and recording technicians are given agreed, liberal access to the referees during the entire four weeks of the Championship. We get clear, in-depth telephoto shots of the referees on the playing fields dealing with decisions and disputes, facing up to the adrenalin-fuelled, often aggressive, players who hope to change the decisions by using either charm and pleading body language, or if that fails, down-right ugly language. Yellow card! We are taken into the quiet hotel rooms where the referees-as-fathers are wistfully looking at photos on the TV screen while missing their children, the referee’s stadium dressing room with high tension before a match, the half time rest/discussion concerning a call, “good game” and celebratory atmosphere among the ‘trio’ at the end of the match. The film is spontaneous and ‘happening now’, with close-up shots of referees and players, hand-held cameras bumping along following referees into and out of the stadiums, or panning across the tight-knit brows of the men at the critical referee meetings where the names of those who will go forward into the next tier of match play are announced. We enjoy the captivating, leading-edge audio and visual technology that goes into the production of this very ‘organic’ film. But we also learn at a major UEFA meeting concerning the persistent call for ‘video replays’ of referee’s decisions, that the players still do not use any technology during a game. They know the rules. They make mistakes. The game has referees who know the rules and make decisions according to what they know and see at the moment of a rule-broken. They make mistakes. The game is not foolproof. Football is not perfect. A remarkable achievement for a film that looks into the professional (and in a few cases private) lives of the extraordinary men who devote their lives to ensuring that football is played to the highest standards of fairness and success for all. Some of the referees even receive a handshake and “thanks” from delighted players at the end of the match - when they win! I think that was a smile on the face of Roberto Rosetti after the last whistle of the Euro Cup Final match. This film was shown on Monday night in Nyon as part of the Visions du Reél festival and there were questions and answers afterward with the film makers and two of the referees featured in the film. A DVD of the film will be on sale in Switzerland from 18 May 2010 in French and German. You can see a clip here on U tube which gives you a good flavour of what it is about.

If you've walked through the centre of Nyon on a Wednesday or Saturday morning, you could well have seen and heard a harpist standing in front of Manor entertaining the passers by. If so, then you will have heard the beautiful Paraguayan music of David Franco Llamosas. David comes over to Switzerland for three months each year and plays in Lausanne, Solothurn, Lausanne, Geneva, Morges, Nyon and other Swiss cities. For the other nine months he helps his on his father's hacienda by selling fruit and teaching harp at the Conservatoire of Asunción, but it's his Swiss summer work that really helps supplement his income. David came to Nyon by default three years ago one summer, en route to somewhere else. On a whim he got off the train to take a look at the town, he started playing and discovered that the people of Nyon liked and appreciated his music which is why he returns. But he says: "I try never to outstay my welcome, I only play two mornings a week here, I am careful in alternating the cities that I visit so people don't tire of the music". David is married and his wife Raquel de Franco travels with him and she too, plays the harp. If they are playing in the same city, they never play in the same spot and in certain towns they even have allocated times when they can play. "In Lausanne there are quite a few street musicians so we register our names on a list to play so everyone can get a fair share." David has relatives who moved to Geneva and Morges over 26 years ago so he and Raquel always have accommodation for when they are here. When I asked him if the cost of the flight from Paraguay doesn't wipe out any money he earns he says: "It is still worth our while to come here, but then we do play every day of the week apart from Wednesday and Saturday afternoon when we give ourselves (and our hands!) a bit of a break. We have seen some lovely parts of Switzerland doing this job and on a summer's day it's good to be out and entertaining the public. But it it's hard work, as some mornings we start at 07:00 to earn money and of course it's tough when it's raining and the weather isn't good". At some stage David and his wife would like to stop their itinerant lifestyle and stay permanently in their own country, to settle and raise a family of their own, but says: "Until our economic situation improves, this is what we do". I wondered about the logistics and cost of bringing the harps over to Switzerland so asked if he had to pay a heavy luggage charge on the plane when he flies over each year. "No, the harps stay at my aunts here in Switzerland, we have others back in Paraguay. My two brothers also play, so there are always instruments available in our family". When I asked him why he plays near Manor and not nearer the castle (where there are possibly more tourists), he said: "It's the people of Nyon who are the most generous, not always the tourists". David and his wife return to Paraguay on the 1st October so there are a few weeks more for you to catch his music if you are out and about in Nyon on a Weds or Saturday morning. If you think South American harp music might provide the right atmosphere for any social event you may be organising then David and Raquel do play at private events. David can be contacted on 078 842 43 39 or email mensajerodelarte@hotmail.com

For those of us who are lucky enough to live in this area we know how beautiful Lac Léman can be. Throughout the seasons it remains a source of inspiration to writers, photographers and artists.Not only is Lac Léman the deepest lake in Switzerland but Nyon even has a museum dedicated to it. For walkers there are many paths along its shores or above it to enjoy its beauty. Erik Chrispeels is a local author who loves Lac Léman with a passion and has written and compiled various books about it, one of them a book for walkers and another a collection of paintings by local artists. His book "Regards sur le Léman -75 promenades pour toute la famille" (Views over the lake - 75 walks for all  the family) is a handy pocket sized book which features circular walks of various lengths and difficulties, but all with one thing in common: a view of the lake. Erik originally from Belgium, has been living in  Switzerland for 40 years, he worked for the UN as a legal counsel and now lives in Prangins . Living in Nyon met Erik down by the lake (where else?) to talk about his various publications and to ask him what inspired him to write and compile them. "When I first starting walking in this area I followed other hiking books but I often became disappointed as not all of them had a view of the lake. Where it did, there were often electricity pylons spoiling the view, the walk wasn't interesting or it led you to an area at a ski station which out of season, looked a bit forlorn. I also wanted a circular walk that did not involve complicated logistics in getting back to the start point. So I decided to write my own book which not only had good walks but included interesting perspectives. I tried out each walk on average at least four times, it took me around three years to get to the stage where I felt I knew them well enough to recommend them. Once the book was published, 30 of the walks were then reproduced in La Côte newspaper and they seemed to be very popular. Ed's note: Even if you are not fluent in French, this book it easy to understand, and if you translate a few words before you set off walking, you should not have any problems. The maps are clearly laid out and there are practical tips such as where to park, the length and difficulty of the walk, which maps cover the particular walk, and suggested places to eat along the way. All the walks are circular. Erik continued, "Although the title of the book means "views of the lake" it can also means "perspective" of the lake, and the book is essentially my perspective of it". "Through this book of walks I then became interested in other peoples' perspectives of the lake: in this case, those of local artists. I come from Belgium where the landscape is basically flat, whereas here the topography is so varied and the different landscapes around the lake can produce many emotions. I was keen too see how others felt and interpreted it through their art. So that is how the next project came about. I visited artists in the Léman area and I asked fifteen of them to each submit five paintings for a book on art of the lake. One of the criteria in choosing the artists was that they must  have been living here for at least twenty years, so they must really know the area. What resulted was "Le Léman - Regards de peintres contemporains", a collection of panitings from watercolours to oils, all painted by very different artists with their unique style. Some of them were happy to talk about their work and explain how they had  interperated the lake, others were reticent to talk, believing the art spoke for itself.  Some of the artists have been painting all their life. One of them, Walter Mafli is now in his 90s. Some artists are famous and their work sells for a considerable sum - others maybe not as well known but what they all have achieved is bringing the lake to life in a lovely art collection. Ed's note: This book would make an ideal Christmas present. Erik Chrispeel's books sell in the Libraire du Château in Rolle, in La Combe shopping centre in Nyon, in La Librairie in rue des Fossés in Morges.  See Erik's own website, for details of his publications and names of all the artists in the book.

Despite it being wet and miserable today, there will be a tropical feel to Nyon tonight (16th January) as "Nolosé " a salsa/ latin  band will be playing at the Usine a Gaz and bringing the sounds of Cuba and Puerto Rico to the town. Free entry  - doors open at 2100. See here     See their video below. If you prefer your live music to be less energetic (and to sit down to listen to it!) there will be ballad/ guitar music at the 1306 club in the old town of Nyon. See here If you prefer your music in the style of 80's electronic/ pop, then check out British artist C.A.R. playing at the Parenthese tonight See here For those who like classical music, there will be a Sunday afternoon piano recital at the Conservatoire next weekend (25th  January) See here  Finally, take a look at this video of the Flow Movement Crew, "Free Running" around Nyon.  Living in Nyon will be interviewing these guys at some stage in the future, they obviously don't let the dark winter days stop them from getting out and about!  You will see some familiar local sights in the video.

Just in case you missed it (or threw it away by mistake!) did you know there is an official brochure which explains all about what you can throw out in the official rubbish/trash bags? Some of the items you can still throw out! (Jan 2015) Milk cartons, plastic vinegar bottles, plastic packaging, cat litter, nappies/diapers, yogurt pots, textiles and clothes that are no longer wearable. The brochure also lists the dates in 2015 on which some non-standard items will be collected from the kerb by the council and it explains how to recycle anything from Nespresso capsules to oil bottles, batteries and more. Note: batteries must not be thrown away in the trash/rubbish bags as they are highly toxic. They can be taken back either to the point of sale or the official eco-points, which can be found either at the déchèterie (official council rubbish/ trash dump) or at and outside many supermarkets. These eco-points are also listed on the council brochure. Still not thrown away your Christmas tree?  Wednesday January 14th is the final date this year when natural (and probably very dry and dead!), Christmas trees will collected. The official brochure that was distributed to all households in the Nyon area looks like this (see photo below) , but do not worry if you cannot find it, it is downloadable from the council's website here . Live outside Nyon or in a different town or village in Vaud? Type in "déchet/or déchets" into your local town, region or village's website and you should be able to upload the official information. Make sure you put the acute accent on the é ! Some websites do not seem to recognise the word déchet without that accent... Note: The 2014 Nyon council macaron (sticker/card) which you must display on your dashboard or on your windscreen to enter the Nyon déchèterie, is still valid for 2015 until the completion of the brand new Nyon déchèterie. This new dump will be situated in l'Asse area of the town and it should be ready in summer 2015. Photos coming up soon of the "Three Kings" night in Nyon.

"Still Alice", the film in which Julianne Moore won the 2015 Oscar for "Actress in a Leading Role", will be shown at Nyon cinema on Monday 9th March at 20:30 . This is an Avant Premiere Monday movie in English. As Alice Howland, Julianne Moore plays a college professor who learns that she is suffering from early-onset Alzheimer's disease. The second film which won an Oscar for "Best Picture 2015" is "Birdman" starring Michael Keaton and will be shown at Nyon cinema tonight, Wednesday 4th March at 20:30 and also on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and next Tuesday. The film is a satire of showbusiness and fame.    For full listings at Nyon cinema - see here

The next Geneva English Drama Society production is  Dancing At Lughnasa  by Brian Friel. This play has won the Olivier Award , the Tony Award , the Evening Standard Award and the New York Drama Critics Award . Synopsis below. Michael, now a young man in 1960, relives the late summer days of 1936, when music on the radio seemed miraculous, the church seemed infallible, and love briefly seemed possible for his unmarried mother and her four sisters. On the west coast of Donegal, the five brave and hardworking Mundy sisters welcome home their frail elder brother Jack, who has re-turned from a life as a missionary in Africa. The summer is made unforgettable by three arrivals: Uncle Jack, Michael’s prodigal father Gerry, and a wireless radio - the family’s one luxury. Unbeknownst to the sisters, tragic and brutal events will make this the last time the family would all be together.  They step out into the afternoon September sun to enjoy their tea, unaware that this is the best it ever will be. Cast members are:  Cathy Boyle,  Andrew Brookes, Viki Lazar, Catherine Monagle, Daire O’Doherty, Gemma Parkes, Colin Paterson and Béibhinn Regli. The play is directed by Charles Slovenski Dates - 3- 7 March  Tuesday-Friday 20:00  Saturday 19:00 Théâtre de l'Espérance, 8 rue de la Chapelle, 1207 Geneva Tickets: CHF 30 (seats numbered), students CHF 20 on presentation of student card (must be purchased at the theater on the night of the show) For more info: See GEDS To buy tickets:   See here