Marcel Pagnol

The Marseille Trilogy by writer-screenwriter Marcel Pagnol — Marius (1931) directed by Alexander Korda, Fanny (1932) directed by Marc Allégret, and César (1936) directed by Pagnol himself — forms one of the cornerstones of French popular cinema.

Marseille Trilogy

Through the lively and warm universe of the Old Port, Pagnol showcases a unique art of dialogue, where humor, tenderness, and the sunny spirit of southern France bring to life characters now inseparable from the Marseillais imagination.

Far beyond a simple local chronicle, the trilogy explores with profound humanity the central themes of Pagnol’s work: the tension between the desire to escape and attachment to home, the thwarted impulses of love, and the solidarity and tensions of everyday life. By presenting a realism that is at once popular, poetic, and deeply rooted in its setting, these three films form a heartfelt and universal monument that continues to carry the voice and soul of Marseille. Presented in new restorations.

La raison pour laquelle tant de gens trouvent qu'il est si difficile d'être heureux c'est qu'ils imaginent toujours le passé meilleur qu'il ne l'était, le présent pire qu'il n'est vraiment et le futur plus compliqué qu'il ne sera.

Marcel Pagnol