Ciel & Toile, an event that’s going strong

It aligns with no less than 16 appointments in three days (see contrast), with the benevolent presence of astronaut Jean-Loup Chretien at the opening. “Pride! He is the first French and the first European to travel into space. He was also a general…

It aligns with no less than 16 appointments in three days (see contrast), with the benevolent presence of astronaut Jean-Loup Chretien at the opening. “Pride! He’s the first French and the first European to travel into space. He was also a dean. Its history is remarkable,” notes Jeremy Pottier Grossmann, who coordinated with Gallia.

“It is amazing to see how the history of aviation and the history of cinema are connected, in themes and technology. It has always been about innovation”

Ciel & Toile’s genesis is inspired by the cinematic skill of the colonel who operates Paban Air Force Base, Diane Geribaldi, and one of her colleagues, Ludovic Bonillat, who heads the General Staff of the Army Air to Paris. In June 2021, the military contacted the Gallia Cinema to imagine an event combining cinema and aviation, two fields that often come together. “At first, they wanted to talk more about flight. We demanded a larger dimension, to which we could approach a more poetic aspect: the sky. He had to stick to our artistic and essay face.”

Brothers in innovation

Jérémie Pottier-Grosman emphasizes the authenticity of the partnership between the air base, theater and cinema. Both parties fumbled a bit before finding the right settings. For Galia, it was a great opportunity to do “cultural mediation” with young artists, but also to reach another audience, those who have a passion for heaven.

This first presentation naturally rejects the theme of the pioneers. “It is surprising to see how the history of aviation and the history of cinema are connected, in subjects and technology. It has always been a matter of innovation,” says Jeremy Pottier Grossman. He mentions devices invented to tame gravity, from Georges Melis and ‘Flight to the Moon’ to ‘Gravity’ , through the discoveries described by Martin Scorsese in the movie Aviator.

Honor women! We salute Helen Boucher, one of the pioneers in aviation with Jacqueline Oriol or Maryse Basti. Jane Dreville’s ‘Endless Horizons’ is a true delight for the film, dating back to 1944, inspired by his life. Completely restored by Cinémathèque française, we’ve been trying The Saintes-Thénac Aviation Club and Saintaise Jeanne Dessaint, 2020 French aerobatics champion, will shed some light during the screening of “The Last Flight” with Marion Cotillard. Alice Winocour’s “Proxima” addresses the difficulty an astronaut faces in going into space and leaving her daughter behind .

Regional Zoom

With the complicity of the media library, Ciel & Toile presents a journey through New Aquitaine’s aviation history, with Laetitia Maison, of the Heritage and Inventory Department of New Aquitaine, a fun show designed by Espace Mendès-France and a virtual reality experience “in Thomas Bisquet’s shoe”. Movies of all ages, for young and old, tell the same magic, from airmail daredevils to the fictional explorers of Japanese Hayao Miyazaki.

Almost every session will be supported by a specialist’s point of view. It’s not a festival (yet?), but it does feel like a festival. Ciel & Toile can become permanent if the boot is successful.