” Laugh together “. The slogan of the Cinecomedies festival, devoted to comedy in the cinema, will resonate in Lille, from September 28 to October 2. The organizers unveiled the program for the 5th edition on Tuesday. On the menu, a novelty with the establishment of a festival village in the heart of the city, but also, as every year, small nuggets to discover and rediscover and a tribute to the Splendid troupe to whom we owe, in particular, the cult Bronzés series.
A caravan in the village
“It is important that a festival live outside cinemas”, explains Yann Marchet, director of CineComedies. This year, the event will have more visibility thanks to the marquee set up on Place Rihour. There will be animations, photo calls and meetings with the artists of the festival, in particular a certain Claude Lelouch who will come to present his comedy Adventure is adventure, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Comedy, not Claude Lelouch.
It will also be an opportunity to discover the “Enchanted Bubble”, a caravan transformed into a cinema, where various burlesque short films will be screened, ranging from old cartoons by popeye old movie news. “Broadcasts of short films of 3 to 4 minutes will be non-stop, adapting to the tastes of the spectators”, explains Frédéric Alexandre, co-founder of the “Bulle Enchantée”. The trailer can accommodate 12 spectators at each session.
There will be worship
Like every year, the festival team unearthed little gems. First, a series of short films by the pioneer of French cinema, Alice Guy, at the end of the 19th century (Thursday 29, at 4.30 p.m. at Skema Business School). These nuggets will be complemented by a documentary And woman created Hollywood (Friday 30, at 2.30 p.m., at the Métropole), which will discuss the preponderant role of women in the birth of cinema.
The retrospective will be dedicated, on its part, to Blake Edwards, whose 100th birthday is being celebrated. In the program, The Partyone of the most enjoyable masterpieces in the history of comedy, but also Victor, Victoria and Shewith Bo Derek, the ephemeral icon of “boomers”.
Nostalgia of the Splendid troupe
Gérard Jugnot will be present, but he will be alone. “It’s very difficult to get the whole team together,” admits Yann Marchet. Nevertheless, the famous Splendid troupe, which made a whole generation laugh in the early 1980s, will be in the spotlight. An exhibition at the Palais Rihour (from September 10 to October 9) will allow you to admire certain filming accessories (Zézette’s dentures, for example) and the little-known archives of the National Audiovisual Institute (INA).
As the highlight of the festival, fans will be treated to a special evening (Saturday 1st, at 8.30 p.m., UGC Lille) with the broadcast of the Santa Claus is garbage, in the presence of director Jean-Marie Poiré. And the traditional outdoor session at the Saint-Sauveur station (Thursday 28, at 9 p.m.) will allow us to review The Cool Babasshot with some of the actors from Le Splendid.