True (2004) by Tom Tykwer

There are times when life calls out for a change, a transition, like, like the seasons. Our Spring was, was wonderful, but Summer is over now, as been for a long time. Hm, we’ve missed out on Autumn and now, all of the sudden, it’s cold. So cold everything, everything is freezing over and my heart has stopped beating. Our love fell asleep and the snow took it by surprise. But if you fall asleep in the snow you don’t feel death coming. Take care.

Paris, je t'aime is a compilation of eighteen short films directed by two dozen renowned directors (including the Coen brothers, Gus Van Sant, Alfonso Cuarón or Wes Craven), each about one of Paris' arrondissements, featuring performers such as (Juliette Binoche, Steve Buscemi, Willem Dafoe, Maggie Gyllenhaal or Gérard Depardie. Two of the features ended up not being used for structure and narrative reasons (the ones for the 11th and 15th a and XV arrondissement), but the final movie was released in 2006.

One of the shorts is called True and it aims to be a story which holds the essence and patterns of all relationships, according to its creators. Inspired by a profound personal crisis he was going through, Tom Tykwer (renowned for "Lola rennt") directed it in 2003, besides writing the script and composing the score, after casting Natalie Portman and Melchior Beslon.

Thomas, a blind student, is studying at home. He receives a call from his actress girlfriend, Francine, who tells him the words that open this post. Thomas hangs up frightened and starts reminiscing about the moment when he met Francine and what they went through since.

The version in the final project was renamed Faubourg Saint-Denis (after a stree in the 10th arrondissement) and is three minutes shorter than the director's cut. There's a reason I'm not talking about Paris je t'aime here... so watch the original short below or here.

And of course you were admitted. You left Boston and moved to live in Paris. A small apartment on a street in the Faubourg Saint-Denis. I showed you my neighborhood, my bars, my school. I introduced you to my friends, to my parents. I listened the texts that you repeated, your singing, your hopes, your desires, your music. You listened to mine, my Italian, my German, my Russian. You learned French and found work at a coffeeshop. I accompanied you to the Conservatoire and started studying for my exams. Each week you changed your perfume but always had that vanilla odor. I gave you a walkman, you offered me a pillow. And one day you kissed me. Time passed, time flew. And everything seemed so easy, so simple, free. So new and so unique. We went to the cinema, we went dancing, went shopping. We laughed, you cried. We swam, we smoked, we shaved. From time to time you screamed. Without reason to. Or with reason to. Yes, sometimes with reason to. I accompanied you to the Conservatoire, I revised for my exams. I listened to your exercises of singing, your hopes, your desires, your music. You listened to mine, my Italian, my German, my Russian. You learned French. We were close, so close, ever closer. I worked at my exams and you had a new perfume. We went to the cinema, we went swimming, we listened to the music, laughed together. I worked at my exams. You screamed, with a reason to and without. Time passed, time flew. I accompanied you to the Conservatoire, I revised for my exams. We listened to the music, you listened to me talking Italian, German, Russian, French. I revised for my exams, you screamed. With reason. Time passed, without reason. You screamed, without reason. I accompanied you to the Conservatoire, I revised for my exams. My exams, my exams, my exams… The Italian, the German, the Russian, the French. Time passed, you screamed, you screamed, you screamed… I went to the cinema. Forgive me Francine.