Journée particulière

"This is the story of a strange request that a photographer friend, Alain Fonteray, made one day to Célia Houdart: that she write the story of a unique encounter, which haunts him. Several years earlier, he came across the great American photographer Richard Avedon by chance in Paris: in a café, a man, seated a little further away, got up, approached Alain Fonteray and a friend and asked them if he can portray them. The stranger thanks them and leaves with a red-haired woman. A few minutes later, the red-haired woman returns to tell Alain Fonteray that the man who took their picture is Richard Avedon. Alain Fonteray, who greatly admires the American artist, did not recognize him. He joins him at a pedestrian crossing. After a brief exchange, Richard Avedon in turn agrees to be photographed by Alain Fonteray, in the same café. Almost thirty years later, Alain Fonteray is still haunted by this encounter. Célia Houdart tells the story of her "special day", without knowing exactly why, but with the presentiment of a mystery. She returns to the scene of this double portrait, consults catalogs to better understand the work of Richard Avedon. Goes in search of testimonies from relatives of the American photographer. She tries to understand why this day counted so much for Alain Fonteray. "Recounting this fleeting encounter with Richard Avedon made it even more profound and mysterious for me," she writes. It was an attempt in my own way to save it from oblivion, and it gave me the opportunity, through a game of reflections and superimpositions, taking advantage of the confusion in which this investigation plunged me, to explore episodes of my own life and my childhood behind the scenes of theaters, with my actor parents. I thought I was looking at someone else. I did not see my own reflection in this many-faced mirror."--Publisher's website.