Original title: Tant qu’on a la santé
Directed by Pierre Étaix, As Long as You’ve Got Your Health is an inventive portmanteau film consisting of four distinct but thematically linked stories. It is widely considered one of Étaix’s most accomplished works, showcasing his transition from pure slapstick into a more surreal, satirical observation of the stresses of modern life.
Original title: En pleine forme
Directed by Pierre Étaix, Feeling Good is a short film that was originally intended to be a sequence within his documentary feature Land of Milk and Honey. However, its distinct narrative style and focused slapstick energy led to it being released as a standalone short. It serves as a sharp, comedic critique of the “back to nature” movement and the commercialisation of leisure.
Original title: Heureux anniversaire
Directed by Pierre Étaix and co-written by Jean-Claude Carrière, Happy Anniversary is an Academy Award-winning short film that serves as a masterclass in comic escalation. While it clocks in at only 12 minutes, it is packed with the precise, rhythmic visual gags that became Étaix’s signature.
Directed by Pierre Étaix and Jean-Claude Carrière, Rupture is a brilliant short film that marks the first collaboration between these two icons of French cinema. Though it runs only about 11 minutes, it is a masterclass in visual storytelling and a precursor to the deadpan, surreal style they would perfect in their later feature-length works.