Water has always been a key issue for a city. A source of both blessings and disasters, it is a constant part of the city’s history. The subsoil of Paris is full of mysterious remnants of ancient hydraulic installations, and history is full of anecdotes from the time when Parisians didn’t even have a litre … Continued
The first successful balloon ascent was attempted by Pilastre de Rozier on 5 June 1783. This first feat was to be followed by many others, always dangerous, sometimes unfortunate, and which were repeated until the appearance of the aeroplane, which put an end to the career of the “lighter than air”.
Original title : Chevaux de neige Once a year, during the winter season, horse races are held on the snow in Saint-Moritz. The meeting day includes different types of races: jumping and flat races, harness trotting races and a special discipline: harness skiing races.
Original title : Colomb Béchar, porte du ciel Although the name Colomb Béchar conjures up images of a sun-drenched city in the sands, anyone visiting for the first time is immediately caught by the fresh spell of this oasis, whose contrast with the nearby desert seems so immense that it perpetually renews the idea of … Continued
Original title : Chamrousse, l’essor d’une station Film in colour, screener in B/W It was at the end of the southern Belledonne mountain range, at an altitude of 1,650 m, that the Recoin resort of Chamrousse began to be developed in 1948. Given the success of Le Recoin and the constant increase in the number … Continued
Original title : Châteaux au Pays de Loire The Loire Valley brings together the provinces of Berry, Orléans, Anjou and Maine. The river and its tributaries, the Vienne, the Loir, the Creuse and the Mayenne, offer a rich sampling of delightful landscapes. The Loire Valley boasts many famous writers: Rabelais, Ronsard, Du Bellay, Balzac. It … Continued
Original title : Châteaux et Rivières This is the land of rivers. They give the provinces they unite the same luminous, peaceful face. These provinces are La Marche, Limousin, Quercy and Périgord. The film takes us on an itinerary through them, an unusual itinerary in that it unfolds not in space, but in time. Time … Continued
Original title : Le Chemin de fer métropolitain de Paris There are two versions of this film. The first dates from 1934 and lasts 15′. The second is from 1948 and lasts 13′. It’s a reduced version with a reworked commentary and different music. “The metro was born in 1900 with the Universal Exhibition, thus … Continued
Original title : Le blé le plus dur The world is divided into two groups: those who eat wheat and those who eat rice. It was in the land of rice that Marco Polo discovered the recipe for pasta. It’s not enough to use wheat flour to make pasta, you need a certain kind of … Continued
Original title : Bon pour le service Film censored by the Film Control Commission because of the “subversive nature of the comments made about the army and military service” (Letter from the Ministry of Information, 5 August 1963). Apart from work, what do they offer you?… the twist and… military service. This sentence represents the … Continued