Finding Filippo - On The Web

Ciao a tutti,

I am sure you are all familiar with the movie, "Finding Nemo." Well this blog post title, has nothing to do with it. But I wonder, what kind of name is Nemo? Isn't it Italian?

But I digress and I haven't even started my post yet. "Finding Filippo." Obviously, having an Internet presence has it advantages and it's disadvantages. Depending on what kind of life you lead, having people be able to find you could be a good thing, or a bad thing. But again, I digress.

Well, not really, in my case, it is a good thing. Like in this case and the reason I am writing this post. I was contacted by a young lady in France who's maiden name is the same as my surname. She wrote to me how she saw my posts and what I do and how much I reminded her of her son and how we must have "it" in the blood.

I wasn't sure what she was talking about but I was intrigued and I wrote her back and asked her to explain. Besides, when it comes to family I want to know them all, not that I even have time for the family I already know of, but I want to know. Isn't that the Italian way?

So, Christiane, pictured above and her son Thomas just below it, wrote me back and told me that her parents were from a neighboring town to where my parents came from in Sicily and like my parents came to America, hers went to France. She speaks French like I speak English, but unfortunately I don't speak French like she speaks English.

And unfortunately, she didn't learn Italian. Anyway, she grew up Italian in every other sense, traditions, culture, pride, etc. and was so happy and proud to see not only another "family" member who like her who feels strongly about being Italian, and one who was so similar to her son.

Okay, I have "family" in quotes because, I am not sure if we are related closely, distantly, or if at all. But regardless there are so many people who don't share my surname at all and I consider them family, so, why not, he, he. Although, I would like to explore this further someday, of course I haven't had time.

But I wanted to know what she meant by "similar to her son." In answer to that question she wrote that her son was named Thomas Lemoine and he is in the "business," to which I understood to mean the movie or entertainment business. And in a subsequent E-mail sent me all of these pictures of him.

Wow! I see what she meant. Here is a guy who against many odds, is in the "movie" business at a very young age in France. And what does he do. He shoots a short film and submits it to a review board for a competition and of the hundreds of films in the competition, his gets selected.

As a prize and as part of the aid to the development of the film he gets sent to Hollywood, my backyard so to speak, to meet with all these movers and shakers of the business and learn the trade.

Then he takes pictures with them and posts them, he, he.

What do you think of that? Now I KNOW he's family! He, he. I am proud of him and for him and I don't even know him. But CONGRATULAZIONE to Thomas and I can't wait to hear more and see more about him and of him and I look forward to meeting him on his next trip to Hollywood after the film gets made.

Better yet, I would love to interview him on the red carpet on his way to receiving his Oscar for his film. Why not? This is my blog, right?

And oh, yes, thank you Christiane for finding me and writing me and congratulations to you too, or should I say félicitations et espoir de vous rencontrer bientôt (Congratulations and I hope to meet you soon).

Filippo

P.S. Here is a video I just found on Youtube of a comical short that Thomas directed and stared in a year or so ago, it seems. I hope it's comical. Like I said, I don't understand French as much as I would like to but it looks clever. I hope it is something he would all want us to see. (In French)