L'Auberge Español / Pot Luck (2002 Cédric Klapisch & scr)

Ce Qui Me Meut is both the name of Cédric Klapisch's production company and his early short film of the same name (1989). They also produce the films of Lola Doillon, which look interesting. They are Et Toi, T'es sur qui? / Just About Love? (2007), Contre Toi / In Your Hands (2010 with Kristin Scott-Thomas and Pio Marmaï) and Le Voyage de Fanny (2016).

Partly - we sense - to escape his mother, but leaving girlfriend Audrey Tautou behind, young Romain Duris leaves Paris for economics studies in Barcelona, where he joins a multi-national group of students and falls for a newly married expatriate (Judith Godrèche). Cécile de France ('Sorry you're not a girl.' 'The world's badly made.') is his gay friend. With Kelly Reilly, Cristina Brondo, Federico D'Anna, Barnaby Metschurat, Christian Pagh, Kevin Bishop.

Much fun around language and cultural differences, many stylistic flourishes, including an astonishing multiple exposure scene after night club, great Barcelona locations, tales of love. A massive treat - well overdue (last seen 14 June 2008!) Pre-Euro film seems old. He wrote it in two weeks!

Shot by Dominique Colin on digital (as is the sequel), edited by Francine Sandberg.

Having twice failed to get into the top French film school, Klapisch studied film at New York University for two years - so the feeling of being a foreign student away from home may be autobiographical.