There is an exhibition of photographs by Henri Cartier-Bresson at the Emirates Palace Hotel. We went along, partly because he was brilliant, but also because we are ever-so-tenuously related. He was my uncle Bertrand’s uncle. I met him a couple of times in Rome when I was a teenager. I wish now I had been more aware of the man and his Leica.
I love the idea of the defining moment – the concept he described as the time when you take a great photograph, capturing the essence of something. Since we saw the exhibition I have been on the look-out for defining moments of my own.
I saw one yesterday. I was at a traffic light, a worker was crossing the road in the midday heat wearing a selection of rags on his head to keep the sun off and dirty clothes. His eyes, as they looked towards me in my air-conditioned car, seemed almost lifeless. There was no hope in them, no interest, I don’t think he even cared if he got run over. Behind him four lanes of expensive air-conditioned cars whizzed by.
In a photograph he would have been static in front of all these moving monuments to riches he will never have. I didn’t take the picture, I didn’t even have a camera with me, but the image has stayed in my mind, just like so many of the Cartier-Bresson photographs we saw have.
Life here is always interesting. Today I am going to interview the opera diva Angela Gheorghiu. I am half-scared that she will throw a shoe at me for asking the wrong question (another defining moment) and half excited. Last night I interviewed Dannii Minogue. It was my first interview with a pop star. She was sweet, with vast fake eyelashes and pink satin dress, but it was a little like talking to someone’s teenage au-pair. In fact I found it quite hard to think of what to ask her, especially as I had been told to stay off certain subjects, like Kylie’s breast cancer. But if there was a defining moment in the interview, that was it. She mentioned the cancer, and tears welled up in her eyes.
I had a verbally defining moment from Leo yesterday on the way back from football.
“Mummy, when I grow up I am going to be boss,” he said, and then he paused. “But if you’re a boss, you can’t really go to the beach.”
That boy has his priorities well sorted out. Let me know if you come across any defining moments.
Copyright: Helena Frith Powell 2009
Dear Helena,
I must confess to some defining moments just listening to the voice of Angela Gheorghiu, although I have heard that she can be difficult. I think she has stayed married to her favourite tenor. Georgeous to look at, sublime of voice. Would you ask her to say how she feels singing belle canto, Bellini, as opposed to singing Puccini, which I have heard her say that she finds very emotional, and thus difficult? I would love to hear her comments.
Glad to hear your children in good form, AB.
Hello BA
I certainly will if I have time, I am waiting to see her now, they tell me I have 5 minutes…..I saw her at the press conference and thought she was totally and utterly marvellous, just how I imagined a diva would be, dramatic, gorgeous, flamboyant and fussing with her hair.
Hx