Citroën’s relationship with cinema has a long history . The French have a special way of interpreting the big screen, with its unique and everyday genre. “The French Chronicle” , however, takes the Gallic country as the nerve center of a story printed in images by Wes Anderson . This American film director, screenwriter, producer and actor has crossed the pond to explain an invented fable called “The French Chronicle.” According to the film specialists of Fotogramas: “’The French Chronicle’ is, in the end, the feature film that the fans of this filmmaker will from now on recommend to those who still do not know the work of someone who already deserves to be recognized as the owner of one of the most unique looks and voices in the history of the medium ”. A story in an invented town but with the most real vehicles, donated by Citroën as an artistic collaborator of the film.
This visionary of American cinema, nominated for the Oscars, has used icons of French mobility such as the Traction and Type H to decorate the streets of Ennui-sur-Blasé , a city that represents France through time. This fictional 20th century city depends a lot on the setting, as Wes Anderson acknowledged: “The visual base of the film, the costumes, the sets, everything is based on a previous documentation task. Although it is an invented city in which imagination and fantasy have been used to the maximum, the basis of all this are existing references ”.
Citroën present in the chronicle
The chevron signature has been the star of many films, starting with the latter. The collaboration of Citroën is present throughout the entire film, thanks to the involvement of the producer and its previous visit to the Conservatoire Citroën to choose the vehicles represented. Finally, the Traction and Type H models were selected as the protagonists, but you can also see a 2 CV, DS, GS and even an Ami on the big screen .
The story of “The French Chronicle” begins when the editor-in-chief of the most widely circulated American magazine, based in the French city Ennui-sur-Blasé, dies unexpectedly. The team must write their obituary and from there they start a series of stories that link the memories of the workers with their boss, developing in the format of chapters. Since the companions have different ages, and were dedicated to the events, we will see police plots between 1930, 1940 and 1950 with some superimposition of animated images in the French comic style.
Citroën and cinema
French culture is clearly linked to the big screen, with stories that we all know and that we recommend as must-see classics. Citroën has always been a part of those stories, with world-class movies featuring chevron patterns. To remember some iconic ones: the 2 CV 007 of “Only for your eyes” (1981), the DS of “Back to the future II” (1989), or the animated film “Cars 2” (2011) in which a DS and a 2 CV meet and embrace by the Seine.
It is not the first time that Wes Anderson has trusted the French firm as an artistic collaborator, since in the film “Aquatic Life” (2004), the director pays tribute to the chevron on two occasions: when Professor Zissou’s team hands over the hostages at the Citroën hotel and the scene where he is driving a yellow Méhari.
