Don’t miss out on your chance to see Jacques Tati’s (of the famed Monsieur Hulot series) chef d’oeuvre, Play Time (1967) on the big screen. When in production, the film was the most expensive French film ever made. Tati built an enormous set outside Paris, that included an airline terminal, a mini-city complete with high rise buildings and traffic circles, which was quickly dubbed “Tativille.” Three years in the making, experiencing numerous setbacks and financial difficulties, combined with Tati’s perfectionist way of filming, the project could only have been saved—financially that is—if the film was an enormous success. It wasn’t and Play Time eventually bankrupted Tati, forcing him to sell the rights of all his films for little more than a handful of spare change.

Tati shot the entire film in medium-long and long shots, without a single close-up. The result is a bewildering pastiche of people and their daily routines in modern Paris (the old Paris, like the Eiffel Tower, is only seen through reflections in the glass facades). Amidst flickering neon signs, conversations occur through intercoms and buzzers and Monsieur Hulot stumbles to find his way in the urban frenzy surrounding him. The film is virtually dialog-free, but the stunning visuals are like a symphony carrying you through the film.

In line with the series, the screening is free and accompanied by an introductory talk.