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2007 Festival Feature Films (March 30 - April 1)


No jours heureux

VCU French Film Festival presents this North American premiere of Nos jours heureux

directors and screenwriters Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache producers Nicolas Duval, Bruno Chiche and Thomas Langmann starring Jean-Paul Rouve, Marilou Berry, Omar Sy, Julie Fournier running time 100 min parental guidance

Description
Vincent, 35, recalls his yearly summer jobs as counselor at a children’s summer camp in Southwest France. At age 25 he had reached the top, and that summer became director in charge. But it takes a lot of nerve to manage the cries, laughs and daily mischief of 80 kids and 10 camp counselors, and at 25, though you’re just over adolescence, you’re not yet quite an adult. Vincent will have to learn to deal with a close yet tense relationship with Lisa, the sexiest camp counselor. One thing’s for sure, though. Whether you’re a participant, a counselor or the director, you’re a different person after three weeks at camp and those transitional years will make for the most unforgettable memories of a lifetime.

Scene 1Scene 2

« Des jours vraiment heureux pour un film épatant de bout en bout »
– Alain Grasset, Le Parisien [client – do you want to include in English?]

directors/screenwriters
Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache

2006 Nos jours heureux
2005 Je préfère qu’on reste amis
2001 Ces jours heureux (short presented at the 10th French Film Festival)
1998 Les Petits souliers (short)
1995 Le Jour et la nuit (short)

actor
Jean-Paul Rouve

2007 L’Ile aux trésors by Alain Berbérian
2006 La Môme by Olivier Dahan
  Nos jours heureux by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano
  Le Temps des porte-plumes by Daniel Duval
  Bunker Paradise by Stefan Liberski
2005 Boudu by Gérard Jugnot
  Je préfère qu’on reste amis by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano
  Arthur et les Minimoys (voice) by Luc Besson
2004 RRRrrrr!!! by Alain Chabat
  Podium by Yann Moix
  Casablanca Driver by Maurice Barthélémy
  Un long dimanche de fiançailles by Jean-Pierre Jeunet
  Un petit jeu sans conséquence by Bernard Rapp
2003 Moi, César 10 ans et demi 1m39 by Richard Berry
  Mais qui a tué Pamela Rose? by Eric Lartigau
  Les Clefs de la bagnole by Laurent Baffie
2002 Asterix et Obélix: mission Cléopâtre by Alain Chabat
  Monsieur Batignole by Gérard Jugnot
  Jojo la frite by Nicolas Cuche
  Mon Idole by Guillaume Canet
2001 Le Petit Poucet, by Olivier Dahan
  Tanguy by Etienne Chatiliez
1999 Trafic d’influence by Dominique Farrugia
  Karnaval by Thomas Vincent
1998 Serial lover by James Huth
1997 Amour déchiré by Yann Piquer (short)
1996 Le Souffleur by Bruno Sauvard and Mickaël Viger (short)

actress
Marilou Berry

2006 Nos jours heureux by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano

 

On ne devrait pas exister by HPG
2005 La Boîte noire by Richard Berry
  Il était une fois dans l’Oued by Djamel Bensalah
2004 La Première fois que j’ai eu 20 ans by Lorraine Lévy
  Comme une image by Agnès Jaoui
1991 Ma vie est un enfer by Josiane Balasko

actor
Omar Sy

2006 Nos jours Heureux by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano
2004 Le Carton by Charles Nemes
2001 Le Boulet by Alain Berberian and Frédéric Forestier
Le Raid by Djamel Bensalah
Samouraïs by Giordano Gederlini
2000 Asterix et Obelix, Mission Cléopåtre by Alain Chabat
  La Tour Montparnasse infernale by Charles Nemes

Scene 3

An interview with Eric Toledano, Olivier Nakache and Nicolas Duval

Eric Toledano, the co-writer and co-director of the film with Olivier Nakache, explains: For us, this film is really a special project. Olivier and I met at an agency which organizes children’s vacations, and we found we shared the same passion for films. Once we got a hold of a camera, we shot our first short film which was about a summer camp called Ces Jours Heureux. When we started to work in film, we often recalled that a lot of our experiences at camp could be part of any dramatic work. Just like in the movies, there are tender, funny and moving moments, as well as characters that evolve throughout the story. A three-week visit to camp changes everyone, from the kids to the counselors.

Nicolas Duval, producer: The story deals not only with the group but the personality of each character involved. It is one of the movie’s strengths. They didn’t make a film about a group as one entity, but about very distinct characters that form a group. It’s extremely vivid. That’s what attracted me to this subject, and why it moves many people. Watching their film is a pleasure. You are immersed in your own memories of youth and childhood.

Olivier Nakache
: What interests us is making a comedy anchored in reality, written about life with humor, without looking for the easy gag.

MILLIONS OF EXPERIENCES FOR A MEMORY

Eric Toledano:
With our experiences, we could’ve written two screenplays. This film is full of real anecdotes embedded within the story. The characters in our movie are all inspired by people we actually met. A lot of the characters exist in real life. From a child’s perspective, I have great memories of camp, but our film centers around the counselors’ view of children. If there is a main character, it’s the camp director. Around him are the other counselors, each with a different personality. In the film we put the types of children and counselors that we remember from our own experiences.

Olivier Nakache:
We were just kids trying to lead other kids. “Education of the young by the young” as we said at the time. This is what gives camps their magical aspect. This mix, these special encounters and the countdown before the end of the summer bring a unique reaction and create unique relationships that are not possible elsewhere. At the end of camp, you’ve made friends for life. You write love letters and the greatest of friendships are born. We’re a good example.

Nicolas Duval
: This film couldn’t have been made by anyone but them. The directors had to have knowledge of camp life as well as true cinematic talent. It’s surprising that in spite of the number of people this subject concerns, it is a theme that hasn’t really been explored in film.

Olivier Nakache
: We hope that people will be amused and feel something in watching this comedy, a little bit of nostalgia, a path leading to this part of us that’s buried, but very important.



 
 

 

 


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