“This hugely crowd-pleasing romp . . . brilliantly combines two French movie traditions—the holiday drama and the romantic farce.” —Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
In honor of the Twin Cities Pride festival, now in its 33rd year, the Walker Art Center presents a Pride film premiere of Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau’s
Cote d’Azur (Crustacés et coquillages)
at 8 pm Wednesday, June 22, in the Walker Cinema. In this wry French farce, the gay and straight members of a family struggle to let go of their repressed sexuality while vacationing at their dilapidated summer house by the sea. As they play out their complex longings for erotic fulfillment, they learn to embrace each other’s true nature (and break into song). Côte d’Azur recently had its U.S. premiere at the 4th annual Tribeca Film Festival in New York.
With their delectably sexy fourth feature, Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau have created a delicious blend of sexual fluidity, desire, and comedy sure to continue their international acclaim. Marc and his wife Beatrix take their daughter Laura and son Charly on a summer seaside holiday to the house Marc vacationed at as a teenager. Soon after arriving, Laura takes off with her biker boyfriend and the rest of the family is left to spend time relaxing, sun bathing, and enjoying time alone. When Charly’s best friend Martin arrives for a visit, Beatrix suspects that the two are more than just friends. Martin is gay and in love with Charly, but the feeling is not mutual. Charly is straight but resists “coming out” as a heterosexual to his supportive mother. The house gets even more crowded with the unexpected arrival of Beatrix’s lover, who has come to whisk her away from Marc. Meanwhile, Marc has kept himself busy, and oblivious, working around the house and reliving some of his teenage memories. But it is not long before his past meets his present—and his family. The sumptuous ensemble cast (including 2003 Tribeca Film Festival Best Actress winner Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi) adds special warmth to the already romantic setting. Filled with irreverent humor and breezy style, Côte d’Azur is an enchanting frolic, complete with musical numbers that will have you singing and dancing by the time the final credits roll. 2004, France, color, 35mm, in French with English subtitles, 90 minutes.
Born in Lyon, France, Olivier Ducastel is an accomplished director and screenwriter whose filmmaking spans nearly a decade. His first foray into feature films was 1989’s Le Goût de plaire. Ducastel’s creative partner, director and screenwriter Jacques Martineau, was born in Montpellier and in addition to directing, lectures in 19th century literature at the University of Paris. In addition to Cote d’Azur, the duo’s collaborations include Jeanne and the Perfect Guy and The Adventures of Felix.
Tickets to each screening are $8 ($6 Walker and Alliance Française members) and are available at walkerart.org/tickets or by calling 612.375.7600.
