Facebook, reality tv, celebrity chefs; as the world becomes that much smaller, it’s good to see that some things buck against the trend of globalisation. 'Bienvenu chez les Ch’tis' is just that. Having broken French box office records, according to its distributor, Pathé, with over 17 million spectators since its launch, February 20th in the north and nationally as of the 27th, it’s ahead of La Grand Vadrouille, another French classic and is on the way to beating blockbuster, Titanic (20.75 million spectators). No small feat considering you can see the film only in France, Belgium and Switzerland for the moment. For those who have not yet seen this particular gem, it’s a gentle, humourous tale of the north-south divide and its linguistic and cultural differences. The film resonates with the naïve, gentleness of a certain French film genre, think Bourvil, but it’s not twee. The man behind the film and also its co-lead, Dany Boon, recalling the vituperative style of De Funés, takes a machete or should that be a ma-ch’ti to some fairly ingrained stereotyped ideas along the way.
The film used a fairly sophisticated marketing approach by trailering on the internet to create a prelaunch buzz followed by peripheral activity such as online news channel. There is already talk of a US version and it’s easy to imagine. The old adage; think global act local certainly applies to this film with its everyman tale, universal values and feel good factor. Every country has its regional divides and ‘cultural misunderstandings’: choose your own destination and you’ll see it’s workable: man sent up north, full of dread, believing everything he’s been told by southerners only to discover it’s not so bleak after all, interspersed with the shattering of a few received ideas, lovingly done and with a large dollop of humour.
Whilst the Nord Pas de Calais needs no real defending, we British already consider this region and its Opal coast a tourist destination - it’s the south after all. For my own part, the film hit a very personal note. It reminded me of the warm welcome I received and continue to receive from the people I have met on moving up here to Lille from Paris and who I now count as my friends
YouTube - Bande Annonce "Bienvenue chez les chtis"
The film used a fairly sophisticated marketing approach by trailering on the internet to create a prelaunch buzz followed by peripheral activity such as online news channel. There is already talk of a US version and it’s easy to imagine. The old adage; think global act local certainly applies to this film with its everyman tale, universal values and feel good factor. Every country has its regional divides and ‘cultural misunderstandings’: choose your own destination and you’ll see it’s workable: man sent up north, full of dread, believing everything he’s been told by southerners only to discover it’s not so bleak after all, interspersed with the shattering of a few received ideas, lovingly done and with a large dollop of humour.
Whilst the Nord Pas de Calais needs no real defending, we British already consider this region and its Opal coast a tourist destination - it’s the south after all. For my own part, the film hit a very personal note. It reminded me of the warm welcome I received and continue to receive from the people I have met on moving up here to Lille from Paris and who I now count as my friends
YouTube - Bande Annonce "Bienvenue chez les chtis"
