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Editions Montparnasse have announced a follow-up to their excellent Jean Rouch set from last year. It appears the new DVD will include "Cocorico Monsieur Poulet" (1974), "Bataille sur le grand fleuve" (1950) and "Les cimetières sur la falaise" (1951), in French and English versions.

Excellent news! Did the first set include english versions?

As far as I recall, there are no subtitles or English audio options for any of the films or extras in the first set.

The release date for that new disc is now given as 21 February.

Also of interest is Paris vu par... on 6 February. Jean Rouch directs one segment ("Gare du Nord").

Wow, great news. It's been really frustrating not having any English-subbed Rouch on DVD.

anybody seen these films and want to comment? i got very interested in rouch after reading about him in colin macabe's biography of godard, but it seems his films aren't so easy to find. does that english-subbed box contain some of his better or most representative films?

it's a shame that french paris vu par... appears to have no english subs. the portmaneau films of the 60s seem to have been all but ignored on dvd. that film also happens to have a segment by godard.

sevenarts wrote:anybody seen these films and want to comment? i got very interested in rouch after reading about him in colin macabe's biography of godard, but it seems his films aren't so easy to find. does that english-subbed box contain some of his better or most representative films?

The first Montparnasse set, which is not subbed, contains several of his best-known Africa films, including Jaguar, Moi un noir and the astonishing Les maîtres fous, which appears to be a record of ritual possession, but which also, like many of his films, has a great deal to say about the relationship between colonised and coloniser. Stylistically, his work was an influence on the Nouvelle Vague. I think Godard once said that Moi un noir was a direct inspiration for A bout de souffle.

It looks definite that the second Montparnasse release, now listed at Alapage, will have English subs. It appears to be just one DVD, though, rather than another box set. A pity, since there is a great deal more of his work that's unavailable. I haven't seen any of the titles on the new disc.

There's a pretty good English-language tribute site to Jean Rouch here.

There don't appear to be any developments on the Rouch front. Does anyone have any information I may have missed? What I've seen of Chronique d'un ete is sublime, I'd love to see it get some superior treatment, otherwise an Eclipse box would be nice.

There's a new DVD set available, 'Jean rouch et les dogons'. It's by Editions Montparnasse. Does anyone know if there are English subtitles included in this set? Or if there are any plans for further subtitled Rouch releases? I have the first boxset, and love to watch the images of these great films (many of which I saw at the cinema, with English subtitles), but it is frustrating that they are not currently available.

In fact, since subtitles have obviously been written for some of these films that are available on DVD (eg. Jaguar, La Pyramide Humaine, Chronique d'un Ete), does anyone know where it would be possible to obtain transcriptions? BFI? Cine Lumeiere?

So many questions!

ed-plummer wrote:Or if there are any plans for further subtitled Rouch releases?

According to Icarus films have Chronicle of a Summer on dvd for purchase, educational or individual. Not sure if it's dvd-r's or what though, and it seems to only be order via email

Ah yes, thank you Peacock. I couldn't find it the webpage for Icarus films, but I guess the price is very expensive, as it usually is for 'educational' or 'individual' use.

I just wonder why these films are not available to the consumer market given that the transfers and subtitles are in existence. In fact, I was able to watch 'Moi Un Noir' from the Editions Montparnasse boxset with a downloaded .srt subtitle file that was in perfect sync and a good translation.

I suppose these films will always be for enthusiasts until they are made more easily available.

Chronicle of a summer is available on DVD from Arte, sadly no subs.