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CULTURE

Storyboards of failed 1970s ‘Dune’ adaptation up for auction in France

It was one of the greatest cinema collaborations never to go ahead bringing together Salvador Dali, Mick Jagger and Pink Floyd. Its storyboards will be sold in Paris on Monday.

One of the ten storyboard copies for the 1970s 'Dune' adaptation is displayed to the public before an auction at Christie's Paris gallery. The project never went ahead after running out of funding.
One of the ten storyboard copies for the 1970s 'Dune' adaptation is displayed to the public before an auction at Christie's Paris gallery. The project never went ahead after running out of funding. (Photo by Alain JOCARD / AFP)

It has entered film folklore as one of the great missed opportunities: the doomed 1970s adaptation of ‘Dune’ that was supposed to bring together Salvador Dali, Mick Jagger and Pink Floyd.

The project famously collapsed after four years of work by cult Franco-Chilean director Alejandro Jodorowsky, but now his storyboards are going up for auction in Paris on Monday. 

With a new version of ‘Dune’ starring Timothee Chalamet packing cinemas around the world in recent weeks, interest in Jodorowsky’s version has been reignited and Christie’s is valuing the drawings at 25,000 to 35,000 euros ($28,000 to $40,000). 

READ ALSO New streaming service showcases French cinema

They are collected in one large notebook, and were made by celebrated French graphic novelist Moebius (alias Jean Giraud, who died in 2012) and Swiss illustrator Giger, who went on to design ‘Alien’ in 1979 and died in 2014.

The tumultuous project was due to include surrealist Dali, Rolling Stones frontman Jagger, actor-director Orson Welles and silver screen legend Gloria Swanson in the cast, with Pink Floyd among the bands approached for the soundtrack. 

It collapsed for lack of funding — a story retold in the 2013 documentary ‘Jodorowsky’s Dune’.

The brainchild of author Frank Herbert, ‘Dune’ was first published in 1965 and became a six-volume space opera of massive influence, not least on ‘Star Wars’.

Following the latter’s blockbuster success, Hollywood took renewed interest in ‘Dune’ in the early 1980s. 

That led to David Lynch’s version, released in 1984 with a cast including British musician Sting and Patrick Stewart of ‘Star Trek: Next Generation’, which had its own troubles and became one of the decade’s biggest flops. 

READ ALSO 5 of Omar Sy’s best French-language films and TV series

Jodorowsky’s storyboards have taken on mythical overtones among sci-fi fans — said to have influenced later genre hits including ‘Blade Runner’. 

“We know of several other copies: one was offered for auction several years ago, another is in Jodorowsky’s possession… A third has been partially reproduced online,” said Christie’s. 

It said around 10 to 20 copies were produced, though it was hard to be certain.

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FOOD AND DRINK

Three things to know about the new Paris cheese museum

The Musée Vivant du Fromage is due to open its doors in early June, promising a unique immersive and interactive journey into France’s ‘culinary and terroir heritage’.

Three things to know about the new Paris cheese museum

Paris will soon be home to a cheese museum.

The venue, on Rue Saint-Louis en l’Île, in the fourth arrondissement, will open to visitors on June 3rd, sending – no doubt – clouds of cheesy odours wafting daily down the street.

It will be at the same location as the former restaurant ‘Nos Ancêtres Les Gaulois’ (Our ancestors the Gauls), with the objective of becoming “an essential meeting place” for cheese lovers, as well as both novices and professionals within the industry.

Here are a few things to know about the new cheese museum;

It will be interactive

Fans of camembert, chèvre, brie, morbier, Roquefort and brebis, assemble! The museum promises an educational and fully interactive tour of France’s historic cheese heritage, including the science and varied tradition of cheese-making.

The first portion will give an overview of the ‘culture’ of cheese. Then, you will learn about its history, as well as how it is made and finish off with a tasting (dégustation).

READ MORE: Best Briehaviour: Your guide to French cheese etiquette

There’s a dairy and creamery

Part of the tour features a fully functional dairy, where visitors can witness cheese being produced before their very eyes. 

There are two goals for this part of the museum – to help people discover the different regions of France and their iconic cheeses, as well as to encourage young people  to consider careers in the farming and dairy industry, which is enduring something of a recruitment crisis in France.

You will also be able to purchase cheese and souvenirs at the museum’s boutique.

It can host private events

The museum can be booked for private catered events for up to 150 people in the evenings, from 7pm, with or without the services of a cheese expert, who can guide guests through tastings and demonstrations. 

READ ALSO 7 tips for buying French cheese

Tickets are advertised at €20 for adults and €10 for children. For more information and to book a visit, log on to website of the Musée Vivant du fromage. Blessed are the cheese makers!

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