parisian party

There’s a sweet, romantic-comedy that has taken France by storm since its release this past February. Bienvenue Chez Les Cht’is is the most successful French-language movie in French history, and is almost about to surpass “Titanic”as the country’s all time box office champ. The film tells the story of Phillipe, a postal worker from the south of France who gets transfered to a tiny village in the North of France as punishment for committing a gross error at the office. To Phillipe and his family, the transfer is the ultimate punishment- it’s as if he is being sent off to Siberia. Once there though, he’s befriended by his co-workers (led by the films’ writer and director, Dany Boon) and quickly grows to see the warmth and beauty of the region. The film pokes fun at the misconceptions that people in other parts of France have of the North, and also paints a charming picture of a region that, until the success of this film, had long been overlooked not only by tourists, but by most of France.

I’m particularly warm-n-fuzzy about this movie because my husband and I were married in Bergues, the little town that the film takes place in, 8 years ago today. My sister-in-law is a teacher there, and since my husband and I were living in San Francisco at the time, she found the reception venue for us. The town is actually a fortified village with history dating back to the 800’s. It’s pretty sleepy- but very quaint with pretty flower boxes, and cobble-stone bridges, and its now-famous bell-tower, which plays a central part in the movie. I actually haven’t been up north since the movie was released, but I hear that it has put Bergues (population 4000) back on the map. The local tourist board has started offering tours of the region, and people have also been driving up to have their wedding photos taken in front of the belfry.

Insultingly enough, a U.S. version of the film is already under works, (why do film execs insist on dumbing down the American public?) so I don’t know if this original French version will ever be widely distributed in the US. For me thats extra disappointing because, as I looked through my wedding photos this morning, I realized again that that weekend in Bergues was the very last time that my Core Group of BFFs was all together. My friends had flown into Paris from all over the States for our wedding. I had organized a couple of group activities a few days before the big day- we went on a boat cruise on the Seine, hung out in Montmartre, ate yummy ice cream at Bertillon. This was the first trip to France for about half of the group, so I mostly left them to discover Paris on their own while my hubby-to-be and I went ahead up North to finish planning. Everyone met up in Bergues the night before the wedding- looking back on it now, I wonder what the town thought about this noisy gaggle of Americans breaking up the solemnity of their Easter weekend (in particular, I wonder what that old couple on the town square thought of my friend Amy flashing them from her hotel window…but thats another post ).

I read that Bienvenue Chez Les Ch’tis had its’ U.S. debut at the City of Lights, City of Angels French-film festival this past week-end. Hopefully that means that the movie will start playing in other festivals or art houses around the country. If it does, you should really try to go see it. And take your honey- it’s also a great date movie!
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