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Entertainment - Reuters

Woody Allen Becomes Pitch Man for France
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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Film director Woody Allen (news), known for his
fierce devotion to New York, is working as a pitch man for France,
urging Americans to eat french fries, to French kiss and travel to
the European nation.



In a French tourism promotion video, Allen, whose movies are
enormously popular in France, says it is time to put behind them the
animosity over France's opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq
(news - web sites), which soured the long-standing relationship.


"Recently there has been a lot of controversy between the two
countries, and I would hope that now the two countries could put all
that behind them and start to build on what really has been a great,
great friendship," he said in the video, called "Let's Fall in Love
Again."


The tourism board is playing the video at lunches for travel
journalists across America, hoping to boost the number of Americans
traveling to France, down 15 percent in the first three months of
2003 compared to the same period one year ago.


American resentment of the French stand was reflected in many ways,
with some calling for a boycott of French wine and cheese and some
restaurants renaming french fries "freedom fries."


Allen, who has worked with the French tourist office before, said he
doesn't want to refer to his french-fried potatoes as "freedom
fries."


"And I don't have to 'freedom kiss' my wife when what I really want
to do is French kiss her," Allen added.