"Farewell, Philippine" is a 1962 French film directed by Jacques Rozier. It's a key film of the French New Wave, and a little gem relatively unknown.

Jacques Rozier

His first feature film. He worked before on French TV programs and also as assistant of Jean Renoir. He then realized 2 shorts in late 1950s, which got the attention of JL Godard, who was then cinema critic.

Adieu Philippine is his first feature film. He made only 4 other movies, all comedies and quite disastrous, making "Adieu Philippine" even more unique.

He's the first to have received the "Carosse d'Or", price in Cannes given to a director for his career.

Jacques Rozier died 2nd of June 2023, he was 96.

Movie

Spontaneous, almost documentary-like of that period and place, with improvisations, it's a light comedy with melancholy and a great sense of present time: a signature of the "New Wave", and the existentialist themes that goes with it.

Picture influenced visually by the Italian neo-realism.

Almost all actors were recruited from the Paris' streets.

"Philippine" is a reference to a game explained in the movie, but here mostly a nickname for "girlfriend".

Issues

2 years, lost film...

Sound was initially recorded live, but got completely lost - so it was completely overdubbed in studio, which is very unusual for a New Wave movie. It gives another unique touch to it.

Historical context

In 1960, France in the middle of the post-war economic prosperity and is flooded with new products (cars, electric appliances, etc). Meanwhile the decolonisation war of Algeria rages, and it's a barbaric bloodbath. [tell about my uncle].

During the whole movie the background is present, carefully hidden behind the innocent adventures of the youth: not a single time "Algeria" is pronounced to avoid censorship. Bad luck: due to various issues, the movie was released only in 1963, one year after the end of the war, and it became a commercial flop.