Paris nous appartient [Paris Belongs to Us] (Original French moyenne poster for the 1961 film) by Jacques Rivette (director); Jean Gruault (screenwriter), Betty Schneider, Daniel Crohem, Francoise Prevost, Jean-Claude Brialy (starring) - 1961

Paris: Ajym Films, 1961. Original French moyenne poster (affiche) for the 1961 French film. Winner of the 1962 Sutherland Trophy for best first or second feature by the British Film Institute. Scarce, with only two copies found in Cine-ressources.

A labor of love released after numerous financial woes and a three-year production schedule, "Paris Belongs to Us" did not cause the same stir as did the debuts of Rivette's "Cahiers du Cinema" peers, though today it is seen as a film with an importance on the same level as the first works of Truffaut, Godard, and Chabrol.

Rivette retained his post at the journal throughout the 1960s, even serving as editor from 1963 to 1965, as the French New Wave was in full swing. It wasn't until the start of the 1970s that Rivette's filmmaking career took off, but the sensibilities and aesthetic values behind beloved masterpieces such as "Celine and Julie Go Boating" and "La belle noiseuse" are well on display in an exceptional first effort.

Rivette's career is generally defined by his adherence to long-form storytelling and a sense of structural reflexivity. This first feature serves as a perfect preamble to the epics that followed, offering early insight into his sense for both larger scope and narrative complexity. At a confident 140 minutes, the runtime of "Paris Belongs to Us" is roughly 40 minutes longer than any other first feature of the French New Wave (though it pales in comparison to his later work, particularly the twelve-hour "Out 1"). Further, with its focus on a theatrical Shakespeare production, Rivette uses film to comment on its relationship to the stage, a theme he would address in future films.

Set and shot in the streets and apartments of Paris.

23 x 31.5 inches, folded as issued. Small exhibitor or distributor stamp to recto and verso. About Near Fine with small, clean staple holes at corners and vertical fold, very minor fold separation at edges and center. A wonderful of example of an unrestored and scarce poster for a landmark debut feature.

BFI 656.