Le Grand Rendez-Vous

On the weekend of what would have been the Monaco Grand Prix, French director Claude Lelouch, Scuderia Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc and a Ferrari SF90 Stradale made a short film using the empty streets of Monaco.

This new film was a modern recreation of the 1976 cult classic “C'était un rendez-vous” in what was effectively an illegal street race across Paris on public roads. Below for your enjoyment are both versions:

Rendez-vous in Paris  was shot well before GoPro cameras and drones and was done as one continuous shot with no cuts. In the film the driver crosses 18 red lights and they were real as this was filmed on public roads with real traffic in what was supposedly a Ferrari 275 GTB. It become a cult classic amongst automotive types and back in the day one could find the rare VHS copy of the film for $40 or $50. The film, while still well appreciated by automotive enthusiast, as most films do was telling a bit of a lie…Actually a big lie. The car that drove through the streets was not a Ferrari, but was the director’s Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL, with a 6.9 litre V8. The engine noise and tire squeals were added in post production using director Lelouch’s Ferrari 275 GTB.