It had to be a tribute. This will be the first posthumous exhibition dedicated to Jean-Paul Belmondo, who died on Monday. On Saturday, the Palais Rihour in Lille * will bring the face of the French actor back to life in images and memories. Long planned, this exhibition, presented as a prelude to the 4th edition of the CineComedies festival, will have a special flavor.
“I learned the news yesterday, while I was on the road to come to Lille to present the festival,” says Jérémie Imbert, one of the two organizers of CineComedies. I knew he had been very ill since the start of the year, but it obviously came as a shock to me. “
Pierre Richard and Jean-Paul Belmondo
Because between Jean-Paul Belmondo and the Lille festival, history has been written in dotted lines since 2018, date of the first edition. Each year, at the end of September, CineComedies makes discover or rediscover the comic works of French cinema on the big screen, for a long weekend.
“Our first sponsor was Pierre Richard, and we wanted the second to be Jean-Paul Belmondo. Because, for us, they are the two greatest actors of comedy still alive ”, assures Jérémie Imbert. Thus, in January 2019, the festival manager invited the two actors to lunch in a Parisian restaurant.
“The idea was to hand over. It was a great meeting because the two men had never had the opportunity to discuss together, he recalls. After this meal, they kept in touch, but Jean-Paul Belmondo declined the offer to become a sponsor, because of his state of health. “
Photos and filming objects
Whatever, Jérémie Imbert and his partner, Yann Marchet, will not give up the idea of a tribute. “The exhibition could have been set up last year, but the 50th anniversary of Bourvil’s death was essential,” underlines Yann Marchet.
For almost two years, the two men have been collecting photos and filming objects from several collectors. From Cyrano’s nose to Hold-up, some accessories and costumes enrich this exhibition where we can also find some extracts from programs, thanks to the National Audiovisual Institute (INA).
Benoît Delépine and Gustave de Kervern, guests of honor
The tribute will not stop there. The CineComedies festival, which will take place from September 29 to October 3, also programs three films (A monkey in winter, The tribulations of a Chinese in China and The brain) and a debate around the documentary Belmondo, the influencer.
So many events that should not eclipse the other highlights of this festival: previews, a retrospective of the guests of honor Benoît Delépine and Gustave de Kervern, a tribute to Robert Dhéry and a patchwork of Quebec comedies. Almost everything is free and reservations are open on the festival site.
* From September 11 to October 10; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free entry.