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Genre : Drama | Original Language : French | Country : France
Directed by : Jacques Tati Screenplay : Henri Marquet Jacques Tati René Wheeler Cinematographer : Jacques Mercanton Editor : Marcel Moreau
Producers/ Co- Producers : Fred Orain (Cady Films)
In Jacques Tati''s charming first feature film, Tati plays François, a contented and happy postman in the small, unhurried French village of Sainte-Sévère-sur-Indre. François is at ease with his job and performs his duties in a leisurely fashion, peddling away on his rounds upon his beloved bicycle and frequently interrupting his duties to converse with the local inhabitants. Things perk up for the villagers when a travelling carnival arrives in town, with caravans, trucks, large baskets, merry-go-round, lottery and brass band, to mark Bastille Day celebrations. One of the attractions at the carnival is a film supposedly depicting the United States Postal Service''s fast and efficient postal delivery system. The locals poke fun at François, and , having got him drunk, they lead him to the tent to watch the film. The narrator in the film exhorts, "Faster, faster". Francois takes up the call, and attempts to Americanize his work style. Unfortunately, with nothing to aid him in his efforts other than his old bicycle, he goes to hilarious lengths to fulfil his aims. A delightful look at the modern obsession with speed and efficiency, Jour De Fête was an expanded re-telling of Tati’s earlier short film, School For Postmen (L''Ecole Des Facteurs, 1947). It was nominated for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival (1949).
