BRIEF ENCOUNTER

In her revealing piece on Juliette Binoche (“A French Connection,” Jan. 11), Lanie Goodman quotes the actress as such: “My ambition is to have beautiful encounters, not to make money.” In March 1997, days before her Oscar win, Binoche lived up to her claim in a discreetly generous way.

She was scheduled to speak at Sherwood Oaks College, a nonprofit film school headed by Gary Shusett, a writer and friend. When scheduling conflicts presented themselves, Binoche could have canceled. Instead, she invited the class to meet at the hotel where she was staying. The students gladly accepted and the seminar became an intimate, informal meeting on the grass.

JEANINE D’ELIA

Granada Hills