My First Breaststroke

"In 1980, Jean Collet, who was in charge of a collection at the National Audiovisual Institut, asked me to shoot one of the six planned TV films on the theme _Le Grand Jour_ (The Big Day). Not knowing how to swim, I imagined that it would be a great day for me in which I would finally learn. Just to amuse myself, because I don't give a damn if I can swim or not. So the film tells the story of my relationship with water before the big day, and my occasional learning odyssey." (Luc Moullet)

Director	Luc Moullet
Actor	Pascale Paulat et Christophe Postic
Share on

The mere mention of the name Luc Moullet is enough to spur a memory of the hilarious scenes in My First Breaststroke and the film’s wildly offset narrative tour de force. Facing the camera, Luc Moullet questions himself. At the age of 43, he is going to try to learn to swim. The idea of the film is there, and as a consummate pataphysicist, he will push it to extremes of absurdity. Savour this autobiographical tale in which the deadpan main character takes us on a 43-minute ride of laughter and ridicule.

Pascale Paulat et Christophe Postic
Artistic Co-Directors
États généraux du film documentaire