Une visite à l’Ouest Eclair

In the summer of 1934, Rennes based regional newspaper l’OuestÉclair commissioned Jean Epstein to direct a short film to introduce the territory of Brittany to the rest of France—Epstein was directly instructed to create a “tourist propaganda film”. The result was a tender love letter to Brittany that combined a poetic ethnographic approach with elements of a proper musical, while also telling a fictional story of an impossible romance between an impoverished troubadour/fisherman and daughter of a local nobleman. CHANSON D’AR-MOR became famous as the first Breton language film in history and Epstein was publicly praised by the locals as the first and only filmmaker to truly understand the rugged beauty and the complexities of the region. The two films are preceded by LA VILANELLE DES RUBANS, a poetic documentary short about the daily operations of l’Ouest-Éclair that Epstein shot immediately after finishing CHANSON D’AR-MOR. (Jean-Michel Gentile)

All retrospective films that will be shown at the Filmmuseum after the Viennale - from 29.10. - can of course also be reserved as usual at filmmuseum.at or by calling 01/533 70 54 and purchased at the box office of the Austrian Film Museum. The prices of the Austrian Film Museum apply.