Once Upon a Time

Il etait une fois - Benjamin Lacombe By BCWALL from B&C on Vimeo.

My French tutor would read to me in French when I was a little girl, always starting with "Il etait une fois", Once Upon a Time. The fairy tales were mesmerizing not because I understood much French but because the pictures transported me to another time and place. I miss those stories and wish that I can find them for my girls. Looking back now, I recognise that they were full of nuances and dark beauty that the glossy Disney versions lack. The fairy tales I grew up listening to were not so much happy-ever dreams but cautionary narratives of another time. I was so excited to come across this video. It was everything I loved about my childhood memories of fairy tales. This video is a promotion for a pop-up book by French artist Benjamin Lacombe. It is simply magnifique, providing an illuminating perspective on eight classic fairy tales. Alice in Wonderland, Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, Bluebeard, Peter Pan , Little Red Riding Hood, Madama Butterfly, and Thumbelina. You don't have to be a Francopile to be read this book but good luck getting it on Amazon.

Benjamin Lacombe is a genius, oui?  Find out more at http://www.benjaminlacombe.com/