“Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday” by Jacques Tati to screen at a film lecture tribute to Valentīna Freimane

Welcome to the third film lecture dedicated to Valentīna Freimane – this time we will be watching Jacques Tati's film “Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday” (1953), original title: “Les vacances de Monsieur Hulot”. See you on Friday, 22 September at 17.00 in the Liepāja Latvian Society House Chamber Hall.

The comedy is Jacques Tati’s second film. It features his alter ego, the lovely Mr Hulot in a fedora hat and with a pipe, who frequently clashes with the inventions of civilisation. It is set in a small B&B on the seafront that still exists today. The film barely has any dialogue, and if any does come, it fades into the background and noises. Mr Hulot turns into a kind of antagonist, who is impossible to understand, but who makes you smile. In 1956, the screenplay was nominated for an Oscar.

The film won the Gilles Deleuze Prize.

Mr. Hulot’s humour, influenced by the circus tradition, is gentle, the scenes, meticulously staged, look effortless – like a game without an end, only a break. So, there is no drama in the fact that the holidays and summer are over, the beach is empty and everyone, including the girl with the bright pigtails, is leaving...

The film screening is part of the exhibition “Witness of the Century – Meeting Valentīna Freimane” and has been organised in partnership with the French Institute in Latvia and the Cēsis Art Festival. The film is in French with Latvian translation. Entrance free of charge.

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