In 2011 I went to the south of France with my sixth-form college, a trip that changed my life. I made a film about it, and wrote a blog post about the songs I used in the film. In 2012, I returned there and had another great trip. Again, I made a film, and in this post I will let you know the stories behind the songs I used.
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The first song I used, for the Montpellier segment of the film, is "In This City" by Iglu & Hartly.
I first discovered this song on a trip to Oxford, and I thought of it for the film as its chorus describes perfectly how I feel about Montpellier:
"And I know that down here, in this city,
That I won't disappear in this city,
I have nothing to fear in this city..."
I adore Montpellier and would love to live there some day. It is definitely my favourite city. I have even written a novel set there. It just seems to be to have its own vibe, its own air even. I find it to be a truly unique place.
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The second song in the film covers Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer and Montpellier's Mare Nostrum Aquarium. It is "I've been in love before" by Cutting Crew.
I first discovered this song on a family trip to London when I was sixteen. We were driving through a very green neighbourhood with lots of trees, and now hearing the song always brings me back there. We went on to visit Hampton Court Palace, somewhere I'd dreamed of going for a long time as I was fascinated by the Tudors. It was a wonderful trip.
I rediscovered this by chance when I was making my film and tried it with the beach photos, not really expecting it to work - but it really did. So I kept it, and now I really like this part of the film - it may be my favourite part.
I did a post with a bit more about why I love this song.
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The third and final song covers Carcassonne, and is "Famille" by Jean-Jacques Goldman.
I first encountered this song when I was exploring Goldman's music - I did a post all about it. When it came to the film, this was probably the easiest song to choose: throughout the trip, the group had referred to each other as "ma deuxième famille" - "my second family." So I thought of this song right away.
Plus, it's a nice song to end the film on: it has that "ending" feel to it, but in a happy, celebratory way, rather than a sad, "it's over" kind of way.
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Overall, I really like the film. I had a limited amount of time in which to finish it - much less than I had for the first film - and I worried at the time that it wouldn't be able to match the first one. However, I think I managed it, and the music was a huge part of that.
I hope you like the film and the songs,
Thanks for reading!
Liz x
Songs: In This City - Iglu & Hartly - 2008
I've Been in Love Before - Cutting Crew - 1986
Famille - Jean-Jacques Goldman - 1985
