War of the Buttons

press release: France | 1962 | 35mm | 90 min. | French with English subtitles

Director: Yves Robert; Cast: Jacques Dufilho, Jean Richard, Paul Crauchet

Representing rival French villages Longueverne and Velrans, two armies of young schoolboys decide to confiscate the buttons, shoelaces and belts of anyone they capture from the opposing side; victory will go to the army with the greatest amount of these spoils. When he is beaten by his father for having lost his buttons, the leader of the Longueverne army, Lebrac, has an idea which will give his side the advantage. This second movie adaptation of Louis Pergaud’s staunchly anti-militaristic 1912 novel, released at the height of France’s protracted and costly war against Algeria, became the second most popular release ever made in France at that time. The screening will be presented in person by David Spencer, Senior Curator, Moving Image Archives at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

From the Archives at UNCSA

Founded in the 1990s, the Moving Image Archives at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem provided a home for thousands of 35mm film prints once kept at dozens of National Film Service depots across the country. Slated for destruction, the prints were rescued and trucked to a state-of-the-art archival facility, providing a foundation for what is now one of the largest 35mm collections in the world. Consisting primarily of titles released in the 1950s to the early 1990s, the holdings include widely distributed Hollywood classics, subtitled releases of foreign-language titles, grindhouse staples, cult movies, and some truly rare oddities. The series of all 35mm prints will include nine feature-length rarities from three continents and a personal appearance from the UNCSA’s senior curator, David Spencer, who will discuss the history of the collection and its holdings.

All Cinematheque screenings are free and open to the public.