Just like 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Blair Witch Project and Russian Ark, Jacques Tati’s Playtime is one of a kind. It came at a hefty price too, costing 260 million French francs to produce, at the time making it one of the most expensive films ever made. The director really went all out on his set, creating an entire city with real-size motorways and buildings, to shoot the film. In this city covering 16 square kilometres, aptly named Tativille, Tati spent 19 months shooting non-stop,  backed by an incredible army of extras, over 40,000 strong.

In Playtime, which truly takes the comedy genre to task, we are privy to the clumsy undertakings of Monsieur Hulot, played by Tati himself. Utterly dumbstruck by the complexity of a Paris brimming with gadgets, he desperately attempts to meet up with a business partner, but soon loses his way in the metropolis. His wanderings run parallel with those of American tourist Barbara. Their hallucinatory urban journeys sometimes cross paths.

This screening is part of the Dag van de Architectuur, an annual architecture celebration taking place across the Netherlands and Flanders, intended for everyone interested in architecture and urban development. For more information: http://www.dagvandearchitectuurgroningen.nl/