Last night my SwHt and I took transit to see Camille Claudel, 1915 at the Vancity Theatre, depicting the years this gifted sculptor was admitted to an insane asylum by her family. A very slow moving story focusing only on her time in the asylum, and sadly, did not share her fantastic work, being images of those statues and drawings which remain. She apparently destroyed much of it herself. Nor did it prep you to understand (if you do not follow artists) that the Rodin she refers to is also the famous sculptor Auguste Rodin known for many works including The Thinker.
Vancity Theatre Screening
(France, 2013, 95 mins, DCP)
In French with English subtitles
Director: Bruno Dumont
CAST Juliette Binoche, Jean-Luc Vincent, Emmanuel Kauffman
Love Juliette Binoche ever since she showed up on the big screen here in 2000, 'Chocolat'.
On our way to the theatre, at the corner of Richards & Davie St. I saw this! Hello! A public washroom a la Europe possibly? I peeked at the door looking how to get in but we were in a hurry so did not have time to stick my head in to snap a shot. But, should you also be curious, I thought I'd include this PSA on the latest on Street Furniture Vancouver (Apparently 'Street Furniture' also includes benches, bus shelters, bikes racks, litter cans, etc.)
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| Google Images from the street view |
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| My iPhone shot while running across the street |
In 2003 the city of Vancouver entered into a 20-year contract with CBS and a French company called JC Decaux, which manufactures toilets in France. The installation of these fully automated, self cleaning public washrooms began in 2007, which was to include 8 toilets at 8 separate locations.
Located at:
1. Main Street at Terminal Avenue, on the edge of downtown.
2. Davie and Richards Streets (pix above)
3. Nelson just off of Granville Street
4. Pigeon Park on East Hastings
5. Davie Street at Bute Street
6. The Granville mall
Not sure where the other two are.
At first I thought I could not get in because I could not find the place to pay but apparently due to it being a basic human need the City of Vancouver has a bylaw stating that all public toilets must be free of any cost.*
So... we were in a rush and I could not inspect. I must be exceptionally desperate to use a public washroom myself. I'm sure I'm not alone. But in the case, you have someone with you who does and you are strolling the streets of downtown Vancouver. This is your enlightenment.
*for more information on this item of Street furniture and to credit my knowledge of some of the other locations check out Hailey Whitt's essay from Aug 4, 2011 -- Automated Public Toilets Review. on the site Artists Walking Home
