French ‘Classic Children of Paradise’

Islamabad

Director: Marcel Come

Script: Jacques Prevert

The Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) in collaboration with the Embassy of France and Alliance Francaise held a special screening of French classic ‘Les Infants de Paradis’ (Children of Paradise ) in PNCA.

‘Children of Paradise’ was released in 1945 during World War II. It takes us back to 1820 and beyond. The heroine meets three men in her life and her relationship with them is the story of this film. Internationally famous French film director Francois Truffaut made a memorable comment "I would have given up all my films to have directed Children of Paradise." No wonder ‘Children of Paradise’ was voted Best Film by six hundred French film critics in 1995.

‘Children of Paradise’ is artistic collaboration between director Marcel Come and art designer/painter Mayo. They both worked hard to give powerful visual look to script and characters. The film was completed after liberation and became the third most popular movie.

The old- fashioned romance is set around the theatrical world where love is also played the old way and expected goals not achieved thereby suffering becomes integral part of the film. It was nothing less than a miracle that all this was filmed and completed during the war. This is a masterpiece completed with insurmountable obstacles. The drama itself is full of surprises bringing heartache but with intimacy. We get to see a particular time from history with particular atmosphere and this has resulted in a film which the film critics have described as flawless. It is all-time great film because the lavish production effects (costumes and set design and furniture) have rarely seen before in the love and loss, carrying both laughter and tears. Poetry and film have rarely been knit together so well before.

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