La demoiselle d'Avignon

This series is a piece of pure magic ! Starring Louis Velle and Marthe Keller in the principal rôles, it came out in 1972 and captivated the whole of France (99.4 percent of satisfied viewers at the time ! ). Although the picture quality is pretty bad, the story itself and the sets are absolutely magnificent. It's all about a love affair between a Frenchman ( archeologoist / diplomat ) whose mother owns a chateau near Avignon ( Vaucluse ) and a princess from the imaginary country of `Kurland' who was visiting Avignon for historical reasons. The story is so well done and so convincing that you actually end up believing that Kurland is a real country with its traditions, language and music. It is supposed to be a Baltic country, an island about the size of Sicily. The climate is cold and similar to that of Norway. Fish is the staple diet. There is a connection between the city of Avignon in France and Kurland going back hundreds of years and there is indeed even a town in Kurland called Avignonburg. One of the local dishes is the `snoep' which is considered a great delicacy. Whilst our Frenchman, to be near to his heart-throb manages to get himself appointed Ambassador of France in Kurland, our princess goes off to France incognito to try to find her loved one. So they both miss each other. The series relates the various trials and tribulations of each one in the country of the other until they both manage to meet up at the end.

A real `feel-good' series, such as they don't seem able to be able to make any more nowadays. There is a feeling of sweet, innocent and pure love which seems totally out of phase with today's corrupted world. There is no ill-feeling and no violence. There's plenty of humour, love and affection.

The series has recently been issued on a double dvd in France together with interviews from the main protagonists. Unfortunately there are no subtitles in any language and no other language tracks, so if you don't speak French it's a no go. The picture quality does not seem to have been improved compared with before but the series is so good that this defect can be accepted nevertheless. There is also a tourist's guide to Kurland !

All in all, an original and wholly loveable tv series which stands a cut above the others - - pure nostalgia for those who were young children in France in 1972 – but also for adults ! I would wholly recommend it to any French-speaking person !

Koba the incognito idyllic Princess of Kurland with her so cute accent along the whole royal family are what any population would like to get for monarch. The guy she meets, Fonsalette, and his relatives are also so nice, yet nothing is boring at all. It's one of the most beautiful love story that can possibly exist.

From the start there is a special atmosphere that makes characters especially endearing. The people of Kurland regards its relationship of high importance with Avignon, the homeland of their defunct beloved french queen. Since centuries, a delegation comes each year to pay tribute to her on her native soil. They are also proud to have made french the second official country's language and even named their capital Avignonburg.

Koba and her friends meet Fonsalette and his family in a beautiful way, then they try to meet again but things would not be easy.. She came back in France and he left in Kurland as ambassador, both in hope to meeet each other again. She's alone in France while he thinks he loves a regular student without knowing that she actually wears a crown.

Throughout the story, the audience knows everything about the characters while themselves don't. It makes the story not only lovely, but as well comical. They succeed to meet once where he relates he sees regularly the royal family, except one princess (the one seated just in front of him!) of which they have no idea where she really is. Then he tells her he believes she's a bit crazy and to nickname "the loony", her listening to all of this secretly wanting news and listeng what he says with a knowing smile. Something else very funny is to watch how she treats him during a dinner where he don't recognize her.

Yet it seems there is no chance for them to end together, until the king himself decides to get involved and ships secrtetly to France in the most gracious way to fetch Fonsalette back and finally send them in each other arms.

Movie utterly enthralling, stirring to the max and defnitely not to miss. Once you have seen this, you won't forget it, ever.