Jordan Mintzer
Fiscal tax advisor to the Simonard Law Firm in Paris. Producer of the film “Hamilton”, which was released in 2006 in the US.
Born and raised in Queens.
Has lived in Paris since October 2002.
In 2003, he married a Parisian woman he met in New York in 2000.
- Paris
- Tips
Jordan Mintzer’s
LEGAL ADVISOR IN PARIS, MOVIE PRODUCER IN NEW YORK
What makes you a real paryorker ? The fact that I’m a New Yorker living in Paris.
How did you become one ? By meeting a French woman in New York! (smile)
Do you know any other Paryorkers ?
Most of my clients are - the firm I work for is specialized in international tax planning and specifically in Franco-American tax returns and declarations.
And among my friends, Julie Pêcheur, editor-in-chief of “The Paris Times”, and David Pickering, a young American scriptwriter who went to the Fémis (renowned French film school) and who now lives in Paris.
How do these two cities contribute to balancing your personal and/or your professional life ? New York is my hometown, it’s where I was born: all of my family either lives in Queens or in Brooklyn.
What’s the difference between the New Yorker you and the Parisian you ?
When I’m in Paris, I’m the typical New Yorker who complains about how things take too long and how stores are closed on Sundays.
When I go back to New York, the constant hyperactivity of the city exhausts me and I miss the Parisian “laissez-vivre”, and the real break on Sundays.
I think being a schizophrenic critic is somewhat unavoidable.
What images do these two cities bring to mind ? New York makes me think of the color films of the 70s, like “Mean Streets” (Martin Scorsese) and “The French Connection” (William Friedkin). Paris makes me think of the black and white movies of the "Nouvelle Vague" like “Les 400 coups” (“The 400 Blows”, François Truffaut) and “A bout de souffle” (“Breathless”, Jean-Luc Godard).
What’s your fondest memory of Paris ? Having found a job as soon as I got here. It helps make you feel like you belong and gets you off on the right foot in a new life/city.
What’s the first thing you do when you set foot in Paris ? I have an espresso at the counter of a French café.
And the last one, when you leave ? I go to a wonderful "boulangerie" (French bread and pastry shop) next to the Gare de l’Est (one of Paris’ five train stations) and buy delicious "viennoiseries" (French pastries) for my family and me.
Do you have a ritual that’s intimately related to the city ? Though I could use the Internet, I buy the “Officiel des spectacles” (weekly show and movie guide) and plan the movies I’m going to go see over the week-end.
What excites you about Paris ? The Champollion Street in the 5th District, because it’s THE street for people who love cinema.
What annoys you ? The way Parisians can be snobbish and close-minded, because it isolates the city from the rest (suburbs and provinces).
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