1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 502 This Hakimi is something else.
As Ronan, having changed into a dark gray tweed two-piece suit and a linen shirt, struggled to put on his leg warmers while sitting on a stool, he was incredibly grateful for his decision to stick to losing weight.

Thankfully, I succeeded in losing weight.
If you believe those lies that say "you don't need to lose weight, you're not fat at all," let alone gaining 10 pounds, even if you only gain 5 pounds, you won't be able to button up your vest, let alone bend down to put on leg warmers, because the clothes are designed to be too form-fitting.

"But what should we film?" After putting on his leg warmers, Ronan picked up his old leather boots from the ground and fell into deep thought.

The farmers of Lourmaran are not good hunters, but they are very knowledgeable about hunting.

In French history, leg guards were garments that served as strong markers of social class. Elements such as leather with gold buttons, mink trim, and scarlet wool were often worn by nobles when they went hunting. However, the leg guards on his legs had no decorations whatsoever, indicating that they were worn by commoners.

No, they probably don't even qualify as ordinary citizens.

The old boots he was holding had cracked heels, and they were tied with hemp rope several times, giving them a unique charm.

Hakimi wasn't a professional wedding photographer; he was an independent photographer, so naturally he wouldn't have any sample photos for Ronan and Zoe to reference.

Although Hakimi was not famous and even getting enough to eat in Aix-en-Provence was a matter of luck, young couples loved his work; his photographs were quite enchanting.

After discussing it for several days, the two decided to take a gamble: if Hakimi could photograph landscapes and objects well, he could definitely photograph portraits well.

So the next few hours were a complete 'blind box' time, and Ronan had no idea what he was going to face.

But his outfit was so shabby. He was nothing like a groom.

The styles of wedding photos in Provence are indeed very diverse. Ronan had heard of this before, but it seems that none of them go for this 'ruined' style.

To be honest, he's extremely anxious right now, and he's starting to wonder if it's possible to schedule another set of wedding photos if things don't go as planned today.

When Ronan saw Zoe appear in her new clothes, his anxiety intensified.

He pointed to himself, then to Zoe, and asked speechlessly:

Why are you wearing a wedding dress?

Zoe's art style is completely different from Ronan's.

She wore an ivory satin wedding dress with a veil adorned with tin embellishments in the shape of wheat ears.

Although the style and materials aren't high-end, it's a very ordinary design, but it's definitely for a bride.

Zoe was also taken aback when she saw Ronan:
"You're not dressed in the wrong clothes?"

It's not quite what I imagined.

Ronan showed off the soles of his old boots that had fallen off:

"That was the only set of clothes in that cubicle."

Is today's theme really rural?
Or is it a story of a poor boy eloping with a princess?
Hakimi appeared like a ghost, giving Ronan no time to review the situation, and urged:
"Hurry up, let's set off quickly, time waits for no one."

Hakimidin was filmed near a mountain monastery about 10 kilometers from the city of Aix-en-Provence, surrounded by terraced wheat fields.

He said that all the 'props' Ronan and Zoe needed for their wedding photoshoot were located around there.

Ronan thought there might be a small warehouse or something like Hakimi's there, but when he stopped the car, the artist was like a vagrant, picking up whatever he could find in the wheat field.

“This burlap sack is nice. Here, Zoe, you take it.” Hakimi stuffed a tattered sack into Zoe’s hands.

"Ronan, pick up the sickle on the ground, and hey, take the rake too." Hakimi directed Ronan to 'collect' the equipment.

Ronan said hesitantly:

"Is this for farmers? What if they can't find it later if you take it?"

Hakimi's eyes suddenly lit up, and he rushed towards a certain 'prop':
"No, no, they're all acquaintances. I come here often. I'll just return them when I'm done."

Zoe and Ronan exchanged a glance and sighed simultaneously.

Alright, that's enough, just 'pick it up'.

The three of them picked up items along the way, stopping frequently, and went through about four or five rounds of item changes before finally reaching the end of the wheat field—a monastery called St. Victor's, which they heard had been abandoned for over 100 years.

Hakimi spread the tattered sack Zoe had been carrying along onto a clean patch of ground outside the monastery wall:
“Zoe, kneel down here barefoot, and put your shoes away. I’m going to take a long shot later, and the background will be the ruined stone walls of the monastery.”

After instructing Zoe, Hakimi finally took out his camera and started looking for shooting angles:
"Ronan, you'll have to work a little harder and carry that grain measure over there."

"Carry it? Where to carry it?" Ronan protested silently.

You can't make me do hard labor just because I'm dressed in rags; there's wheat in there too.

Hakimi pointed at Zoe and said:
"Carry it behind Zoe; it's the most important prop in this composition."

Thankfully, Ronan had actually done farm work, otherwise the wedding photoshoot would have ended there.

He took a deep breath, lifted Liang Gudou with a standard deadlift, and slowly walked towards Zoe.

Up until this point, Ronan and Zoe were completely bewildered, letting Hakimi boss them around.

Upon reaching the designated location, Ronan continued to ask:
"and then?"

“Then listen to my instructions. This composition is your only chance, so don’t move around—” Hakimi spread his legs and set up the camera. “Zoe, hold the hem of your wedding dress with both hands and stay in this position. Good, good, good, absolutely beautiful! Now, Ronan, listen to my instructions—fall down!”

Ronan could no longer hold on, and with a tug of wheat, the entire bushel fell onto the hem of Zoe's wedding dress, which she was holding up with both hands while kneeling on the sack. There was so much wheat that it quickly overflowed the dress, and Zoe frantically tried to catch as much of it as possible.

"I've got it! I've got it!" Hakimi shouted. "Beautiful, absolutely beautiful!"

Ronan tried to shake off the bits of wheat that had fallen onto Zoe's veil, but Hakimi stopped him:
"Don't move. Ronan, look down at the back of Zoe's neck. Zoe, you don't move either. Look down at the wheat in your hands."

Two seconds later, Hakimi stood up straight:
"Got it, got it, got it, that's good enough, let's change the background."

"That's it?" Ronan helped Zoe up from the wheat field.

From his perspective, not counting the time spent picking up trash, it took him and Zoe less than ten seconds to finish posing before the background was taken.

Hakimi picked up the rake, turned around, and left.

"The contrast between the dilapidated stone wall in the background and the bountiful harvest in front of the camera, the contrast between Zoe's glamorous appearance and Ronan's worn-out clothes, and the contrast between the black and white figures in the shot all symbolize that love is not afraid of the span of time, status, or perspective. Love is eternal, yet fleeting. The material we just provided is sufficient."

Ronan turned his head and met Zoe's gaze, who was looking at him with the same expression.

A few seconds later, the two said in unison:

"This Hakimi is something else."

After saying that, he quickly chased after them. The second filming location was under an archway in the semi-open basement of the monastery.

Here, Ronan finally saw Hakimi's small 'warehouse', which contained some filming props that he had 'prepared' in advance.

However, Ronan quickly got the truth out of him.

According to Hakimi himself, although he had never photographed newcomers, he often came to photograph the local farmers, so he became friends with them. The props were actually delivered by the villagers.

how to say.

Although you no longer need to 'pick up' equipment, the items still belong to other people.

Putting the props aside for now, artists are a very individualistic group.

What if this is Hakimi's style?

However, perhaps it was just psychological, Ronan gradually came to appreciate Hakimi's professionalism and was no longer as apprehensive as he had been at the beginning.

He made the young couple change their clothes again before taking the second set of photos.

"With such thorough preparation of the outfits, the photos are sure to turn out well, right?" Ronan reassured himself.

At this moment, Hakimi was instructing Zoe on how to properly dress herself. After changing, Zoe took off her wedding dress and put on a lace petticoat.

"Tie the copper bell belt around your waist, don't wear the olive branch ring on your head, wear it around your neck, Zoe. Hold this oil lamp in your left hand and this writing brush in your right hand, squat down by the urn under the stone gate." Hakimi continued his frantic commands.

After arranging Zoe's outfit, props, and movements, Hakimi looked at Ronan.

Ronan's outfit change this time was simple: he took off his wool vest and put on a matching jacket, keeping everything else the same.

But based on the experience of filming the previous scene and Zoe's recent ordeal, Ronan guessed that the focus this time would be on the props.

“Ronan, come here.” Hakimi beckoned to Ronan. “Take off your coat and drape it over Zoe, then roll up the sleeves to your elbows.”

Ronan obediently did as instructed, awaiting Hakimi's next command.

"Alright, go ahead, go sit next to Zoe." Hakimi waved Ronan away as if dealing with a pet.

Ronan was completely bewildered.

Zoe changed outfits again and had so many accessories and props. Why is it that when it comes to me, not only do I not have any props, but I even got a piece of clothing for free?

Is this reasonable?

Although dozens of complaints welled up in his heart at the same time, Ronan still obediently squatted down next to Zoe.

After fiddling with the two of them for a while, Hakimi nodded in satisfaction.

This time, instead of rushing to get his camera, he carefully took something out of his bag, held it with both hands, and handed it to Ronan:

"Don't break it."

Sunlight streamed into the basement, so it wasn't a dark room. Ronan could easily see what he was holding: a handwritten copy of a marriage contract, its pages yellowed and peeling, exuding an antique charm.

At a local wedding in Provence, the bride and groom place their hands on a marriage contract in the presence of a witness, priest, or notary, but the marriage contract is printed.

“From 1903, absolutely a gem.” Hakimi finally picked up his camera.

Ronan was deeply moved.

Who said I got here by 'picking up' props all the way?

Look, here comes the trump card!
"Zoe, don't let your quill fall on it. Leave a little space. I went to great lengths to borrow this, and I have to return it today," Hakimi reminded her in a weak voice, as if a loud voice would destroy the nearly hundred-year-old handwritten copy of "The Marriage Contract."

Ronan: "."

Dude, not a single prop is yours.

“Zoe, mimic the act of handwriting the ‘Marriage Contract’ with a quill pen, your eyes lowered and solemn. Ronan, kneel on one knee, one hand holding the ‘Marriage Contract’ on the table, and the other hand holding the oil lamp in Zoe’s hand. Yes, yes, the two of you should get a little closer.” Hakimi’s voice interrupted Ronan’s thoughts.

He explained as he filmed:
"The bride wears the groom's coat, symbolizing physical belonging, while the handwritten marriage contract represents spiritual belonging. Ronan, look tenderly at this woman to whom you belong, body and soul, and make a gesture of protecting her for the rest of your life."

Zoe often described Ronan as a very emotional person who was always the first to sense the emotional fluctuations of those around him.

Driven by Hakimi's emotions, Ronan fully entered the state he described, looking at his beautiful wife who belonged to him both physically and emotionally.

As he watched, he couldn't help but kiss her.

How can wedding photos be complete without a kiss?

But when Hakimi and Zoe shouted at the same time, a terrifying echo reverberated through the basement, nearly scaring Ronan out of his wits.

"No intimate behavior allowed!"

Ronan plopped down on the ground, still clutching the priceless handwritten copy of "The Marriage Contract":
"why?"

You mean legal constraints?

Even after the second background was filmed, Ronan was still bothered by what had just happened.

Why should I?
Can't I even kiss my own wife?

Zoe apologized for not explaining such an important local law to Ronan beforehand:

"In 1979, the Diocese of Avignon promulgated the latest version of the 'Ritual Code for the Sacrament of Marriage,' which stipulates that it is forbidden to take pictures of lip contact, entanglement, etc. on church premises because it is considered to desecrate the sanctity of marriage. Although this monastery has been abandoned for many years, it still belongs to church premises."

Hakimi's still-shaken addition:

"Although I can make good friends with anyone, I can't guarantee that the guy who develops the film isn't a fanatical Catholic. If he is, he might actually report you if he sees the negatives."

Ronan countered:

"How did he know we were filming at a monastery? There aren't any obvious landmarks here."

Zoe grabbed Ronan's arm, trying to calm him down:
"Yes, it is indeed impossible to identify landmarks, so the parish of Avignon has enacted an amendment to the Public Morals Law, which prohibits the display of 'excessively private behavior' on municipal property. Two years ago, a newlywed couple was arrested in front of a commercial building for imitating the classic kissing scene from 'Gone with the Wind,' even though no photos were taken."

"This is so unlike Provence!" Ronan said angrily.

Hakimi offered a hearty consolation:
"But what I want to say is that it is precisely because of this law that Provence has given birth to a series of romantic 'alternative' symbols and created a series of unforgettable classic scenes. Let's go and shoot some romantic and everyday things."

(End of this chapter)