Things to do in Paris when you are on holiday

Zazie is about to go on holiday, but this doesn’t mean that the city where she lives stop going to the movies... unfortunately!

Even if I’m very happy to go away for a while, I know that I will surely miss all the great things that will happen while I’m not here. So, for friends and readers staying in town, these are the cinema things you absolutely can’t miss in Paris this summer!!!

John Cassavetes Movies

Five of the greatest movies by American director John Cassavetes have been restored and are now distributed in Paris cinemas. Don’t miss masterpieces like Opening Night, A woman under influence, Shadows, Faces and Death of a Chinese bookmaker.

I personally watched Opening Night last saturday and I found it absolutely modern, intense and very powerful. Gena Rowlands is to die for. I strongly suggest you to see them all!

Lola by Jacques Demy

A restored version (un grand merci à Ciné-Tamaris, Fondation Gan pour le Cinéma et Fondation Technicolor!) of the masterpiece by Jacques Demy, Lola (1961), will be out in Paris cinemas on July 25. Isn’t that great?

And for you lucky people who are going to be in town today, July 26, at the Cinéma Arlequin there will be a special screening at 8 pm with Agnès Varda (Jacques Demy’s widow) and adorable French actress Anouk Aimée (who played Lola).

Don’t miss this enchanting movie and the presence of two great ladies of French cinema (and of cinema tout court!).

50^th Anniversary of Jules & Jim by François Truffaut

Oh, yes, could you believe it? 50 years have passed since the creation of one of the most unforgettable movies of all cinema history. Now you can watch it seated in a comfortable cinema seat in a restored and shiny version. What are you waiting for? RUN!

Parc de la Villette – Cinéma en plein air (July 25 – August 26)

La Villette is back as every summer with a nice program of movies en plein air. This year’s theme is “Métamorphoses”. What I really like about this event is that, usually, contemporary movies are not contemplated. There is always a bunch of interesting films from different times and different parts of the world. This year, you can see some fabulous movies by David Cronenberg, Michel Gondry, Michael Mann, Clint Eastwood, Spike Jonze, Don Siegel, Milos Forman, Ken Loach, Tim Burton, François Ozon and many others.

Cinéma au Clair de Lune – 12^th Edition (August 1-12)

The Forum des Images takes its Quartiers d'été as every summer in the street of Paris for my favourite cinéma en plein air, the one Au Clair de Lune! The idea is to see movies set in Paris in the same area of the city where they have been filmed. A couple of years ago, for example, I have seen A bout de Souffle by Godard in a garden on the Champs Elysées... useless to say, it was great!
In this year's edition there are two movies I simply adore: César et Rosalie by Claude Sautet (1972) and Les Demoiselles de Rochefort by Jacques Demy (1967). I have to confess this last one is set in Rochefort and I dond't understand what it has to do with Les Invalides where it is going to be showned but who cares: any excuse is good to see this adorable movie by my beloved Demy!

Bande-annonce Cinéma au clair de lune di forumdesimages
Have a great Parisian Summer, dear readers!