Soigne ton gauche (1936)
L’Ecole des facteurs (1947)
Cours du soir (1967)

As a teenager Tati developed a passion for sport: he was accomplished in rugby, football, tennis and horse-riding. This soon became the material of his mime shows, with which he toured France and Europe. As his interest in cinema developed, his miming technique and sport-loving nature were put to good use in his early film works.

Directed by Rene Clement, Soigne ton gauche turns a young farm boy into an unexpected boxing champion. With L’Ecole des facteurs, an obvious sketch of Jour de fête, Tati becomes a fully-blown auteur. Shot on the set of PlayTime by Nicolas Ribowski, Cours du soir is also a nostalgic glimpse at Tati’s early career, as he teaches students his music-hall numbers in a night class, the simplicity of the short contrasts sharply with the sophistication of the long feature.

This is a rare opportunity to see these seldom screened films.