28 – The apartment towers where our main protagonists live.

This part of the street feels like somewhere in France or Germany.  There is stunning contemporary architecture, public art, lovely sidewalks and street intersections, and a proliferation of boutique stores selling furniture and all sorts of beautiful things from Europe.  Most importantly, there is also the Moonstruck Diner – last seen in the romantic comedy, Moonstruck.

It’s the perfect setting for our French-German arthouse collaboration, Auf France, where we see two young expatriates – he’s from Berlin and she’s from Paris – randomly wandering the streets of New York, searching for love and for meaning.  They live next door to each other in the same building.  However, they have their own social circles, and they literally go the opposite direction each morning to work.  And so while their paths cross somewhat – they say hi to each other occasionally in the elevator – their lives do not.

It’s only when an unexpected event takes place – an embarrassing parcel gets sent to the wrong address – that they finally meet and see each other for the first time.  Love blossoms, awkwardly but quickly. What was two separate movies and lives, becomes one.

29 – She spends a lazy afternoon lingering at the nearby restaurant.

30 – He windows shops at James Robinson.

31 – She stands at the southwest side of 58th and Lexington, waiting to cross.

32 – He stands just across the street on the southeast side. They cross each other, unbeknownst to each other.

33 – Both have stood before the stunning courtyard at Bloomberg Tower, admiring the architecture.

34 – Day Two: She stands at East of 3rd Avenue, waiting.

35 – He stands west of 3rd Avenue. They cross paths again. But say hi. They recognise each other as neighbours.

36 – Unbeknownst to both of them, they both like the stuff sold at Jab Anstoetz.

37 – Also Auffrance, which, is where we get the title of the movie.

38 – It all happens the morning after both of them, separately, have a coffee at the Moonstruck Diner, lonely and wondering what would happen next. A parcel is delivered to Her which is rightfully His. It contains toys, of a specific variety. She is not amused. They fall in love.

E – Auf France