The Paris Olympics is about to open. As a major European film industry, the French film industry has also taken action. On July 24, the film distribution company UGC launched a re-screening of the classic film "Amelie", and it was rarely accompanied by English subtitles to facilitate foreign tourists visiting France during the Olympics.
Released in 2001, Amélie not only made the lead actress Audrey Tautou famous, but also became the most ideal promotional film for the romantic city of Paris. Many real scenes in the film, including the Café des Deux Windmills where the protagonist works, have become popular check-in spots. Of course, when Amélie was first released, it also encountered negative reviews from France. Critics accused director Jean-Pierre Jeunet of deliberately "beautifying" the streets of Paris, which was really "unrealistic."
Many scenes in "Amelie" have become popular check-in spots.
However, the negative reviews from film critics did not stop the French and even global audiences from loving it. "Amélie" not only became the French box office champion of the year, but also became the highest-grossing French film in history after being introduced to North America, and eventually earned a global box office of up to 175 million US dollars. In addition, the film won four major awards including the French Film César Award for Best Picture and Best Director, and was recognized by film peers and ordinary audiences at the Oscars, the British Academy Film Awards, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic, and the Toronto Film Festival in Canada.
The Deux Windmills Café, where Emily works, is located on Montmartre.
As for the relationship between the gentle countryside created by "Amelie" and reality, director Jean-Pierre Jeunet said in an exclusive interview with The Paper in 2021 that he filmed his ideal Paris. He wove that nostalgia into a yellow-brown filter, covering the sky and creating a world of yesterday. Interestingly, in that interview, Jeunet made no secret of his dissatisfaction with the new Paris under Mayor Anne Hidalgo. I wonder what he thinks of the bustling Paris under the current Olympic mode.
According to the Paris Tourism Bureau, more than 15 million people are expected to flock to Paris during the Paris Olympics (July 26 to August 11) and Paralympics (August 28 to September 8). This includes about 2 million international tourists. If you want to avoid the crowds around the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower, you might want to rewatch "Amelie" in the cinema.
Of course, there are more classic French films than just Amélie. The opening ceremony of this year's Olympics is scheduled to take place on the Seine River. The chief director is Thomas Jolly, who is famous in the theater world. He has hinted to the media that the opening ceremony will include a segment paying tribute to the classic masterpiece "Les Amours du Pont Neuf" by French director Leo Carax. "The history of France is also the history of film," Jolly said. As for the specific details of the tribute segment, like the rest of the opening ceremony process, it is still highly confidential.
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, held on the Seine River, will include a segment paying tribute to "Les Amours du Pont Neuf".
