Cinematheque: The Films of Pierre Étaix

Commissioned to cover the Europe 1 Podium radio tour (which brought pop stars to France’s leading tourist destinations), Étaix offers a witty and searching documentary portrait of the country’s generational divides and cultural blind spots following the tumult of May 1968. He remains as sharp-eyed as ever, juxtaposing the professed ideals of the French populace with images of gluttony, ineptitude, and drab urban sprawl.