On the 30th anniversary of his death the Institut français put on a special evening of film and food to celebrate the hero of French comedy Louis de Funès on Thursday 14 November 2013, as part of the 21st French Film Festival.
The popular French actor of Spanish origin is one of the giants of Gallic comedy alongside Bourvil and Fernandel. His acting style is remembered for its high-energy performance and a wide range of facial expressions that earned him the nickname ‘the man with 40 faces a minute’.
For this special tribute, the Institut français offers to discover or re-discover Claude Autant-Lara’s classic wartime comedy La Traversée de Paris (1956). In one of his first significant role, Louis de Funes plays Jambier, the penny pinching butcher to whom the two heroes Bourvil and Jean Gabin must deliver their precious suitcases.
There is no good French celebration without food so the screening will be followed by a buffet of charcuteries, terrines and wine, served in suitcases, of course.
Written by Marcel Aymée, La Traversée de Paris plays the German occupation for slapstick comedy. The film begins with newsreel footage of the Nazis marching down the Champs-Élysées and ends with the city’s liberation. In between, the odd couple Gabin and Bourvil, who have met by chance in a bar, struggle to move their contraband pork meat sneaked in four suitcases – fending off an assortment of dogs, drunks, and cops.
The French Film Festival tribute to Louis de Funes also features a UK premiere in Edinburgh, London and Glasgow to the documentary Louis de Funès Forever, directed by Gregory Monro and Catherine Benazeth who will attend. There will also be a screening of the classic La folie des grandeurs (Delusions of Grandeur) in London (Sun 17 Nov).
LA TRAVERSÉE DE PARIS
Screening & celebratory banquet
Thursday 14 November 2013, 6.00pm
Institut francais d’Ecosse
13 Randolph crescent Edinburgh EH3 7TT
Telephone: 0131 225 5366
TICKETS: £15 / £13
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