Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis
Welcome to the Sticks (literally, Welcome to the Land of the Ch’tis)

Thursday 21st January 2010
6.30pm pre-screening drink and nibbles
7.00pm film screens


With 20.2 million viewers, it is the most successful French film in in the history of French cinema and surpassing the previous record set by Hollywood blockbuster “Titanic”

Synopsis
Post office manager Philippe Abrams (Kad Merad) and his wife Julie (Zoé Félix) love the sunny South of France. But when Philippe gets caught trying to cheat his way into a transfer to a Riviera resort, the punishment could not be worse. Philippe must pay for his sins by spending three years at a post office in the dreaded Nord Pas de Calais, France's northernmost region, reputed for its heavy industry and cool climate. Leaving Julie and their son Raphael behind and braving the chilly North alone, Philippe soon finds himself having quite a good time with the friendly, fun-loving Northerners. He comes to appreciate the local cuisine and even learns to get by in ch'ti, their incomprehensible patois. But should he let on to the unbelieving Julie? Depressive by nature, she's never been happier than in her new role as the supportive wife of a man battling with adversity, it's a tricky call...
Source: Dendy Cinemas http://www.dendy.com.au/moviedetail.asp?Mov_ID=M1583


The inhabitants of this lost region are termed the Ch'tis in recognition of two key features of the Picarde patois. French 's' sounds become 'ch', and personal pronouns such as 'toi' and 'moi' become 'ti' and 'mi'. The blizzard of misunderstandings in which these and other dialectical oddities entrap Philippe constitute one of the most elaborate, protracted and relentlessly side-splitting linguistic adventures ever attempted on-screen.
Source: Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/jul/21/french.cinema

Politics of the film

• In May 2008, the film became the object of controversial remarks by Jean-Marie Le Pen, leader of the Front National political party. Le Pen, who claimed to have disliked the film, argued that the people of Nord-Pas-de-Calais do not look like the two main characters of the movie. He then added that "this is normal, since both of them are Arabs."


• 
  The film was also criticized for its filming location. The movie was filmed in Bergues where the locals speak both patois Ch'timi (a derivative of Picard) and French Flemish (a dialect of Dutch). This angered some advocates[who?] of the Dutch dialect who are struggling to keep the language alive.


• 
  While trying to promote the Northern dialect of French and fighting clichés, the film also shocked Occitans as Midi French people are not only portrayed as narrow-minded and prejudiced but worse still, none of the actors (mostly Parisians) have the typical Southern accent apart from a gendarme and a senile madman.[citation needed]
  


• Line Renaud's 'Ch'ti' accent was also criticized by some Northerners as not being authentic. Line Renaud was born in Pont-de-Nieppe near Armentières.
  Source Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bienvenue_chez_les_Ch

Trailers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErkEkhYvZ38

http://www.abc.net.au/atthemovies/txt/s2361573.htm