The Fête Jour de Fête house in Sainte-Sévère-sur-Indre

The House of Day to Day in Sainte-Sévère-sur-Indre immerses you in the burlesque world of filmmaker Jacques Tati and his first feature film of the same name. With its scenography and its 50s atmosphere, this place is a true hymn to joy, in the heart of the village square which has become a real movie star. A retro shop welcomes you where everyone will find a little bit of their childhood with traditional sweets, old-fashioned games but also a bookstore area.   

A humorous visit with François the postman and his bike

The Jour de Fête house is a real show trail to relive the history of the filming of the movie made in 1947. Once the door is pushed, the visitor enters the world of the 1950s with the post office of François the postman, you will then let yourself be carried away by the voice of a child from the village for a sound journey in the middle of the sets of the film, in a film studio of the time. 70 minutes of laughter and emotions for the whole family.

Why did Jacques Tati come to Sainte-Sévère-sur-Indre?

It was 1940, during the Occupation, and Jacques Tati, then famous for his mime performances, was thinking of leaving the music hall. He had already appeared as an actor in a few films and written a few short films, but the war and then the German occupation would disrupt his plans. He was requisitioned for the STO, the compulsory work service, and was ordered to go and entertain the German population. After 2 weeks, Tati and his screenwriter friend Henri Marquet returned to France. In order to escape the German authorities, they settled in the free zone in 1943 near Sainte-Sévère-sur-Indre. There, they wrote the screenplay for " The factor school " and promise to come back to shoot their 1^er feature film. 

In June 1947, the inhabitants of Ste Sévère were surprised to see Jacques Tati arrive with technicians, actors and filming equipment. Like the funfair that brings the peaceful village in the film to life, the filming of Day to Day constituted, for the duration of a summer, a daily celebration and mobilized all the inhabitants of the village, happy and proud to participate in this unusual adventure.

The public success of Celebration day and then his triumph (best screenplay award at the Venice Film Festival in 1949, Grand Prix du Cinéma Français in 1950) did not succeed in making Tati forget the welcome that Sainte Sévère had reserved for him. And the filmmaker often returned, until the end of his life, to visit its inhabitants. For their part, the inhabitants of Sainte Sévère have never forgotten the event. And Tati's death in 1982 did not change the special relationship that the entire village has with him. Even today, Jacques Tati's cinema inspires more than one.

A historical and cinematographic visit to Sainte-Sévère-sur-Indre

On foot or by bike, everyone can stroll through the small historic and picturesque streets of the village of Ste Sévère thanks to the route allowing you to better understand the history of this town but also to discover the locations of the filming of the film! Hilly landscapes announcing the nearby Limousin await the more athletic thanks to cycle routes downloadable on the Cirkwi application. Ask for the historical route at the reception of the Maison de Jour de Fête.