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Emily or Koba? Who says anything about you?

Part 2/2 ‘Love as a mirror of escapism’

Emily or Koba? Which of the two do you want to surrender to? Emily’s drawn-out romance series, with cliffhangers, serial lovers and new twists that sometimes slide into superficial dramas? Or Koba’s love story that is compact and unique, with an apotheosis that brings everything together?

Actually, you don’t have to choose at all. You can time travel between Emily in Paris and La Demoiselle d’Avignon. They are both fairy tales. Both allow you to escape, just in completely different ways.

And honestly?

I saw La Demoiselle d’Avignon in 1976 and was immediately enchanted by the series.

I wasn’t the only one, by the way. The series achieved massive viewing figures in France (20 million) during its first broadcasts. Gigantic for that time! Especially since the success didn’t come from marketing and going viral on social media, but from the story itself:

A rounded, elegant fairy tale that was rebroadcast over and over again because people kept asking for it. No likes, no shares, just timeless magic that continued to fascinate generation after generation.

Fairy tales are still going strong

The modern Emily in Paris also captivated me initially. The first two seasons were really fun and refreshing to follow.

Season 1 reached a whopping 58 million households worldwide within the first month. Recent seasons are still doing well, ranking in the top 10 in dozens of countries. The success is enormous, but it depends on trends, social media and Netflix’s marketing machine.

However, viewers let it be heard that the latest season, as with many Netflix series, suffers from stretching, repetition and a certain superficiality.

Is the story getting a bit thin?

Workplace, career leaps, as well as the French street scene can hardly be called realistic. Product placement and tourist pictures pass a little too often and with every take Emily wears a new expensive and striking outfit that makes you constantly anticipate the next take:

What is she wearing now? It becomes very clear that the series has become one long commercial for French couture, Paris (and Venice) and the happy few.

Maybe that’s the intention: to distract attention from the story with exuberant costumes and beautiful images.

And yet I will look forward to the next season, just like all those other viewers who have a love/hate relationship with the series.

Maybe because it’s light and relaxing. Because it takes some of the edge off real life.

Or perhaps, quite simply, out of nostalgia for La Demoiselle d’Avignon. And, let’s be honest, it’s really a very nice series, with beautiful people and beautiful images.

Paris

Their producers and leading actresses

Emily in Paris is a creation of Darren Star, a succesful American producer, also known for Sex and the City, another series in which continuity is more important than completion.

Lily Collins (daughter of Phil Collins) plays Emily Cooper with an almost fairytale lightness. She dresses like a princess and is always optimistic, making Emily less of a realistic character than a projection screen for desire: the desire for a more beautiful life, faster loves, and a perfect environment.

Precisely therein lies the strength of Emily in Paris as escapism. The fact that I have forgotten the names of her sweethearts says it all: they play a minor role.

La Demoiselle d’Avignon was written by Louis Velle, who played the lead role of François in the series himself. Author and actor coincided here, which gave the series a strong ‘lived’ feeling.

Koba was played by Marthe Keller, who made her debut here and would later become a celebrated actress.

Both leading roles were given the same weight. The fairytale setting is also present: it’s not every day that you meet a princess who falls in love with you. But unlike Emily, the characters are very simple and warm.

Where can you watch the series?

Emily can be seen on Netflix. La Demoiselle d’Avignon took me some searching. You can find the DVD with the 6 episodes on Amazon (French spoken). Or via the following links (also spoken in French):

Have fun watching! The quality is a bit fluctuous, the atmosphere très vintage, but hey, it’s a bomb of nostalgia! Especially for those who saw it on TV in the 70s.