Parisian of the Month: Nadja Romain

I met Nadja Romain when I lived in New York through a French friend of mine and didn't really get to know her till I moved here. She has a fascinating background and has worked in the art and film world. She recently formed her own production company and divides her time between Paris and New York. We sat in front of my Christmas tree yesterday munching on late afternoon snacks and sipping Mariage Freres tea.

Where were you born and where did you grow up?
I was born in Paris in the 9th arr. and grew up in St. Germain de Pres. Paris was a great city to grow up with so much culture. As a teenager I would spend all my spare time in museums and movie theaters. I discovered all the American classics in the theaters in the Latin Quarter including Hawks, Capra, Huston, Lubitsch, Minelli, Hitchcock... It is how I nourished my passion for America, feeling like one day I will make it there. Places like Brasserie Lipp and Cafe Flore were still reasonable, neighborhood places where you would meet writers and artists and it was so stimulating.

Tell me about your background in the art world.
I studied art history at the Sorbonne and Ecole de Louvre, specializing in late 19th century and early 20th century art. I had a very special teacher Guy Cogeval, who is now the head of the Musee D'Orsay. While the studies at Le Louvre are much more about the art object,  he would have a more global approach pointing out correspondences between art,music, literature, politics and sociology and the relationship between any kind of expression and the context they are growing in which is very important to me. Art is not isolated.

My first job was at Karsten Greve gallery in the Marais and then I started writing for Conde Nast, Vogue Decoration, Maison et Jardin. I also collaborated with artists writing text for them.

You worked at Agnes B. in their film production department called Love Streams. What was the job like and what are some of the films you produced?
I started by chance in 1999 and worked there till mid 2007. My last film was a feature called Mister Lonely directed by Harmony Korine. I mostly worked on documentaries about artists and some of the films I produced were "No Restraint", about Matthew Barney directed by Alison Chernicks, By the Ways a Journey with William Eggelston by Cedric Latey and Vincent Gerard, and Looking Glass about composer Phillip Glass.

What's the name of your new production company and what kind of projects will you be producing?
It's called Provocateur films and my partner is Elma Cremin. We are producing feature films, television shows and documentaries. Our purpose is to produce thought provoking entertainment with good, smart  content focusing on art and social conscience issues.Choosing projects is very personal and we want to make films we would like to see ourselves. We want to help people to think out of the box in an entertaining way and reach a wider audience and don't only want to preach to the already converted. We are currently working on a documentary about Andy Warhol called the Second Life of Andy Warhol. It focuses on his life after he got shot and draws a portrait of him through the takeovers of his T.V. show. People usually don't  know but he was obsessed with T.V. and fame.He even appears in an episode of The Love Boat and had his own T.V. show. He was one of the first people to understand today's culture of fame. It's being directed by Christina Klauson who recently did a documentary about Keith Haring.

What's your ideal way to spend a free afternoon in Paris?
I love to walk across the Seine from Pont du Carrousel by the Louvre to the left bank. I walk down rue des Saint- Péres and then rue de l'Université, one of the most beautiful streets in Paris. I sometimes feel like a tourist here now because I've lived in so many places.

I know you love tea, so what's your favorite salon de thé?
The Ritz Hotel. It's not the best tea but I go for the atmosphere.

If you could invite four of your favorite artists, living or dead to dinner, who would they be and where would you take them?
Federico Fellini- Chez Georges, Mozart- Le Voltaire, David Bowie- Kinugawa, and Martin Scorcese- Le Perrone.

You always have the most fabulous shoes on, so what is the best shoe shop and who makes the best shoes?
The Maria Luisa shop and Christian Louboutin and also Pierre Hardy who is very different but both super talented.

What's the biggest difference between Paris and New York?
I feel the ground in New York is very energetic and the ground in Paris actually absorbs your energy. I sometimes feel Paris drains your energy. Paris is cozy, gifted and spoiled. New York is a struggle but it's where you can make things happen.

What do you prefer about Paris?
The stunning beauty of the city. It's a miracle.I love Paris!

Addresses
Chez Georges
1 rue de Mail,75002
Tel. 01 42 60 07 11

Le Voltaire
27 Quai Voltaire, 75007
Tel. 01 42 61 17 49

Kinugawa
9 rue Mont Thabor,75001
Tel. 01 42 60 65 07

Le Perrone
6 rue Perronet,75006
Tel. 01 45 44 71 51

Maria Luisa
38 rue Mont Thabor,75001
Tel. 01 42 60 89 83

Christian Louboutin
19 rue Jean Jacques Rosseau
Tel. 01 42 36 05 31

Pierre Hardy
15 rue Valois, Palais royal, 75001
Tel. 01 42 60 59 75

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Comments

[John W.]

I imagine Mlle Romain is referring to the Pont du Carrousel, the rue de l'Université and the rue des Saints-Pères, no?