Tautouology should not be confused with tautology, which means 'the needless repetition of an idea'. Tautouology is concerned, on the contrary, with necessary repetitions, that is, with the annual recurrence of a species of elfin creature with large eyes, which once a year appears in films. Tautouology is the most recently created of scientific disciplines, and is thus an indicator of the relentless march of progress in science and technology. Tautous are very rare, and only one specimen is so far known to science. Although it is suspected that there may be a colony of Tautous somewhere, perhaps in France, this has never been proved. The private habits of the Tautou are entirely unknown, and it has never been observed in its burrow. Many theories have been formed about the Tautou, but they are all highly speculative. Certainly, the Tautou has been observed frequently in Paris, and it is thought that this rare creature may have some connection with the Paris catacombs, to which it may possibly retire at night (though this has never been reliably reported by a qualified observer). This film, 'God Is Great but I Am Tiny', preserves valuable evidence on film of the behaviour of the Tautou. This film was made immediately after 'Amelie', when the Tautou is estimated by science to have been 24 years of age. (Tautous are believed to live to a great age, perhaps even 100.) The Tautou is a neotonous creature, that is, it looks much younger than it is, and it preserves childlike characteristics into adulthood. In fact, it is believed by some that these infantilisms will never disappear, or at least many scientists hope not, and that the Tautou will still be a little girl when it reaches the age of 100 which is predicted for it. In this film, a fine contribution is made by Edouard Baer, who delivers an excellent performance as a human, as do Julie Depardieu, Anna Koch, Atmen Kelif, and other humans who surround and interact with the Tautou in this excellent natural history film. The direction of the film by Pascale Bailly is lively, if somewhat over-quirky at times, adopting very much a cinema verite approach (the references to Godard in the film did not go unnoticed by scientists). The theological implications of this study of the religious behaviour of the Tautou, as it wavers in the film from religion to religion (Catholicism, Buddhism, Judaism, you name it), is thought to be a comment upon Heidegger's views of 'being and essence'. Certainly the Tautou says at one point to Francois: 'You aren't Jewish enough.' The social interactions of the Tautou with the humans make this film fascinating to watch, as the Tautou shows extreme volatility, which the humans have trouble coping with. The Tautou is liable to change religions in the same way that the Arctic hare goes from brown to white when the snow falls. Tautou mood swings, emotional seizures, changes of hair style, clothing changes, alterations between loving and hating, all confirm the zoological conclusions arrived at on the basis of other evidence, that the Tautou has a hyper-sensitivity to its social environment and reacts badly to the withdrawal of love. This film is of extreme importance to the discipline of Tautouology, and is recommended to all serious students of this rare mammal.
