Sundays and Cybele
Encyclopedia
Sundays and Cybele is a 1962 French film directed by Serge Bourguignon. Its original French title is Les Dimanches de Ville d'Avray (Sundays in Ville d'Avray), referring to the Ville-d'Avray
suburb of Paris
. The film tells the tragic story of a 12-year-old French orphan girl who is befriended by an innocent but emotionally disabled young French Vietnam War
veteran. The film is based on a novel by Bernard Eschasseriaux, who collaborated on the screenplay.
A doctor, who has a romantic interest in the nurse, finds out about the ongoing relationship, and out of self-interest interprets Pierre's relationship with Cybèle as sexual. He passes his imagined conclusions on to the police, who also misread the intentions of the young man.
Pierre has nothing to give Cybèle for Christmas, so he takes up her earlier joking challenge to bring her the metal rooster on top of a Gothic church near the orphanage. Being a former pilot, he musters the nerve to climb the 300 foot steeple, and uses his knife as a tool to unscrew and bring down the rooster. He approaches the girl, carrying the metal rooster and his knife. However, at this point, the police arrive and shoot him dead to "protect" the child, whom they think is in danger.
Cybèle, who had fallen asleep waiting to meet Pierre for their Christmas together in the snow covered park's gazebo, is devastated by witnessing the pointless killing of her friend.
.
Ville-d'Avray
Ville-d'Avray is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. The commune is served by the Boulogne-Billancourt prefecture, of the Hauts-de-Seine department.-Transport:...
suburb of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. The film tells the tragic story of a 12-year-old French orphan girl who is befriended by an innocent but emotionally disabled young French Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
veteran. The film is based on a novel by Bernard Eschasseriaux, who collaborated on the screenplay.
Plot
Pierre (Hardy Krüger) is a French Indochina War veteran who is consumed by guilt after having accidentally killed an innocent Vietnamese child when crash-landing his stricken plane. His nurse-girlfriend Madeleine (Nicole Courcel) lives with him on a low-key but potentially romantic basis. Pierre then sees Cybèle (Patricia Gozzi) in distress as she is being dropped off at a small orphanage by an obviously unloving father. Eventually, he pretends to be the girl's father, which allows her to get away from the locked orphanage, and he spends time with her every Sunday, for months. Both are lonely, childlike, and in need of a supportive friend.A doctor, who has a romantic interest in the nurse, finds out about the ongoing relationship, and out of self-interest interprets Pierre's relationship with Cybèle as sexual. He passes his imagined conclusions on to the police, who also misread the intentions of the young man.
Pierre has nothing to give Cybèle for Christmas, so he takes up her earlier joking challenge to bring her the metal rooster on top of a Gothic church near the orphanage. Being a former pilot, he musters the nerve to climb the 300 foot steeple, and uses his knife as a tool to unscrew and bring down the rooster. He approaches the girl, carrying the metal rooster and his knife. However, at this point, the police arrive and shoot him dead to "protect" the child, whom they think is in danger.
Cybèle, who had fallen asleep waiting to meet Pierre for their Christmas together in the snow covered park's gazebo, is devastated by witnessing the pointless killing of her friend.
Cast
- Hardy KrügerHardy KrügerHardy Krüger is a German actor. He is thought of as one of the greatest German actors of the 1960s. He was born in Wedding, Berlin, German Reich...
as Pierre - Nicole CourcelNicole CourcelNicole Courcel is a French actress, who achieved popularity through the 1950s, and 1960s, though she is mostly unknown outside of France. Born Nicole Marie-Anne Andrieux in Saint-Cloud, western suburbs of Paris, she appeared in 43 films between 1947 and 1979...
as Madeleine - Patricia Gozzi as Cybèle/Françoise
- Daniel IvernelDaniel IvernelDaniel Ivernel was a French film actor. He appeared in 50 films between 1947 and 1981.-Selected filmography:* Dieu a besoin des hommes * La Passante * The Smugglers' Banquet...
as Carlos - Andre OumanskyAndré OumanskyAndré Oumansky is a French actor. He appeared in more than eighty films since 1958.-Selected filmography:- External links :...
as Bernard
Awards
Sundays and Cybele won the 1962 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language FilmAcademy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
.
| Award | Category | Recipient and nominees | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards 35th Academy Awards The 35th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film for 1962, were held on April 8, 1963 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California... |
Best Foreign Language Film | ||
| Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment | Maurice Jarre Maurice Jarre Maurice-Alexis Jarre was a French composer and conductor.Although he composed several concert works, he is best known for his film scores, and is particularly known for his collaborations with film director David Lean. Jarre composed the scores to all of Lean's films since Lawrence of Arabia... |
||
| Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium | Serge Bourguignon Antoine Tudal |
||
| Blue Ribbon Awards Blue Ribbon Awards The are film-specific prizes awarded solely by movie critics and writers in Tokyo, Japan.The awards were established in 1950 by which is composed of film correspondents from seven Tokyo-based sports newspapers... |
Best Foreign Language Film | Serge Bourguignon | |
| Golden Globes 20th Golden Globe Awards The 20th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film for 1962 films, were held on March 5, 1963.-Best Actor - Drama: Gregory Peck - To Kill a Mockingbird*Bobby Darin - Pressure Point... |
Samuel Goldwyn International Award | ||
| National Board of Review | Best Foreign Language Film | NBR Award | |
See also
- List of submissions to the 35th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of French submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film