'Paris Musette' for Library Distribution

'Paris Musette...The Story of the Accordion Sound of Paris' 

A Film by Jean-Pierre Beaurenaut  Presented by Films du Village and Planet Group Entertainment  52 Minutes

In the late 19th Century, Paris was a melting pot of poor peasants from the provinces, all scrapping it out over jobs and better living conditions. The people from the Auvergne region took control of the valuable charcoal trade which fueled the industries and furnaces of every business and home. Now with a tiny bit of prosperity and more free time, these country-people-turned-city-dwellers could enjoy their dancing and their music. The Musette, their country bag pipe, played nightly in the hundreds of new cafés, also controlled by the Auvergnes. Their instrument was also called the cabrette (goat skin), note the origin of the word “cabarét”, and dancing to the music was ‘bal musette’, a kind of pay-per-dance with the women of the cabaréts.   

Along came the Italians, whose wood-working skills were admired and finding a place in the Parisian economy. They brought with them the accordion, and on the ever of W.W.I there was a marriage of sorts as accordion players were invited to join in at the bistros and cabaréts. By the end of the War, the marriage was cemented and the musette/cabrette sound was incorporated into the accordion....violà, Emile Vacher-an uneducated, self-taught musician from Brittany bought himself an accordion in a flea market and started to play. The Sound of Paris was born.

‘Paris Musette’ brings us all of the color of the origins of the sound against montage archives, along with beautifully performed renditions of famous Paris melodies danced by professional re-enactors in the old clubs of the Bastille and on the floating dance-hall “guinguettes” along the river Marne. The film presents 100 years of life in Paris, classic film clips, archive musical material and re-enactment’s...all exquisitely mixed with traditional music and dance.

One instrument, many sounds...one place, many people, all folded into fifty-eight enchanting minutes. “The Sound of Paris” continues to keep the soul of the city alive! Director Jean-Pierre Beaurenaut received the Prix Bella Bartok and the Prix de la Musique Populaire for ‘Paris Musette’

Watch Paris Musette Trailer Here:

PARIS MUSETTE...THE ACCORDION SOUND OF PARIS_TRAILER_1080_EN.MP4 from sarasotafringefilms on Vimeo.

Click for Paris Musette Personal or Educational Purchase Options:

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A Note About Our Academic and Institutional Pricing

Educational DVD with PPR: $150

Anytime you want to screen a film on campus, Public Performance Rights (PPR) need to be obtained. Copyright law (USC 17§101) defines a public performance as occurring in a public space or if it is in any place if "a substantial number of persons outside of a normal circle of a family and its acquaintances" is gathered there. This would include classrooms, meeting rooms, auditoriums, dorm lounges, etc. However, copyright law (USC 17§110) also provides an exception for face-to-face teaching activities in a nonprofit educational institution.

Digital Site License with PPR: $200

A DSL grants educational institutions and/or non-profit organizations a limited license to host and stream a film online to students, faculty and staff on their password-protected server. This license is granted for three years. The key advantage of purchasing a DSL is that once uploaded, an unlimited number of viewers can access the film from multiple locations simultaneously.

DVD + DSL bundle PPR: $225

K-12, Non-profit, Public Library with PPR: $62.50

Personal DVD or File Download: $24.50