What name comes up more in the topic of French music than Edith Piaf? Many cultured musicians would answer: none. Born Edith Giovanna Gassion, this Parisian rose would eventually become known as “La Môme Piaf” or “little sparrow” in Parisian slang. This nickname of sorts would be oh so fitting for a petite songstress. Sadly, Edith would eventually become addicted to morphine and die on October 10th 1963 at the tender age of 48. Her music would live on for many years though. The 2007 recipient of the Academy Award for best actress, Marion Cotillard, well deserved it portraying Edith in the acclaimed film “La Vie En Rose” which, if you have not yet done so, you must watch. No French singer will ever surpass the sheer emotion Edith put into her music, and she will be remembered forever.

The lyrics of this emotional song tell of a woman being carried around by a crowd when she crashes into a man, falls in love. And then just as quickly the crowd tears them apart, never to see each other again. Perfect stuff for Edith Piaf!

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There is no doubt that some of our most popular lists are ones which revolve around mystery and intrigue. Fortunately for us all, there is no end to the number of weird and wonderful mysteries in the world, so we are now able to present our fourth list of unsolved mysteries. So - onwards to the world of the mysterious!

Over the last few decades, miners in South Africa have been digging up mysterious metal spheres. Origin unknown, these spheres measure approximately an inch or so in diameter, and some are etched with three parallel grooves running around the equator. Two types of spheres have been found: one is composed of a solid bluish metal with flecks of white; the other is hollowed out and filled with a spongy white substance. The kicker is that the rock in which they where found is Precambrian - and dated to 2.8 billion years old! Who made them and for what purpose is unknown.

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So many genres of film making have been covered on the site, but one certainly sticks out for its lack of representation - and this, finally, is it. These are films that are not designed to promote or condemn homosexuality, but films which mirror the “coming of age” films, the “romance” films, and just general life-stories that we see so often in mainstream cinema. The difference is that these films are based on same-sex situations. I have tried very hard to select films that I think appeal to ALL people - not just a homosexual audience. I have seen all of these films and I would easily recommend them as masterpieces of cinema or story telling. For those with biases, put them aside and check these films out - I am certain you won’t regret it.

I feel a bit guilty for adding this film - it is here for its art value only. The film itself is a little hard to watch unless you are particularly fond of avant garde French movies - it is not just a gay story, it is an art form - from the art of the author (Jean Genet) to the art of the director (Fassbinder). For many this might appear a B-grade film, but I assure you, it is not; it is true to the story, it is true to the life of the author, and it is a moving film. Perhaps even more moving is the fact that the main actor, Brad Davis, ultimately died of AIDS through drug use. This same actor was the brilliant star of Midnight Express.

Synopsis: French sailor Querelle arrives in Brest and starts frequenting a strange whorehouse. He discovers that his brother Robert is the lover of the lady owner, Lysiane. Here, you can play dice with Nono, Lysiane’s husband : if you win, you are allowed to make love with Lysiane, if you lose, you have to make love with Nono… Querelle loses on purpose…

Buy the DVD at Amazon

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In some places, marriage to the first cousin is illegal - in others it is advised! Through history there have been many famous people who, for reasons known only to them, have married within the family. This is a list of 10 of the most famous people who have done this.

Jesse James married his first cousin Zerelda “Zee” Mimms, who was named after Jesse’s own mother. They had two children and remained married until Jesse’s death in 1882 at the age of 34.

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Sleep is something we all do - mostly every day (except on all nighters reading Listverse or studying) and for most people it is one of the great pleasures in life. But sadly, for many people, with sleep comes problems - some of which can be extremely serious. This is a list of the 10 weirdest sleep disorders.

In this disorder, a person loses paralysis which is normal for the Rapid Eye Movement period, causing their body to freely act out their dreams. These behaviours can be violent in nature and in some cases will result in injury to either the patient or their bed partner. RBD is a treatable condition. The standard therapy is the anti-convulsant drug clonazepam, and this is generally received very well. The reason for its effectiveness is unknown, but it restores the natural paralyzed state of a person in the REM stage of sleep.

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