Classic French musical 'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg' kicks off Ragtag Cinema series

One of the most well-loved musicals in movie history will kick off a Ragtag Cinema run of French films Wednesday night.

Billing it as "a film for all the young lovers of the world," Columbia's indie moviehouse will screen 1964's "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" to open its Passport: Scenes From the French New Wave series.

Winner of the prestigious Palme d'Or at that year's Cannes Film Festival, and a five-time Academy Award nominee, Jacques Demy's film stars the legendary Catherine Deneuve and Nino Castelnuovo as star-crossed young lovers parted by war.

The film landed at Number Six on IndieWire's list of the best movie musicals — sandwiched between "The Wizard of Oz" and "Mary Poppins."

"Demy’s movie is at once joyous and melancholic, regarding life as a constant melody in search of its next verse," IndieWire's Eric Kohn wrote.

Bending with each iteration to suit a different theme, the Passport Series is Ragtag's long-running deep dive into international cinema. The other films in this year's series include:

• Jan. 17: "Cléo from 5 to 7" (1962, directed by Agnes Varda)

• Jan. 24: "Chronicle of A Summer" (1961, directed by Jean Rouch and Edgar Morin)

• Jan. 31: "French New Wave Shorts," a compilation ranging from 1956-65 and directed by the likes of Jean-Luc Godard and Melvin Van Peebles

"The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" is unrated. Each Passport offering screens at 6:30 p.m. Visit https://ragtagcinema.org/film-series/passport-scenes-from-the-french-new-wave/ for more details and ticket availability.

Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731. He's on Twitter/X @aarikdanielsen.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Legendary French musical kicks off Ragtag Cinema's Passport Series