If there is one person you should know if you are a fan of SF, it is Patrice Girot. A true great specialist of Star Wars in France, his interest in the saga began in 1977 with the release in theaters of Star Wars.
This moment marked the beginning of a devouring passion that would shape his entire life. From then on, Girod began collecting everything related to Star Wars: posters, figurines, magazines, gradually becoming a true expert in this universe.
In 1990, he created his own publishing company Courleciel, named after Luke Skywalker in the original credits of the 1977 film (bad translation which was later corrected in other versions)
This company will publish Lucasfilm Magazine, the official Star Wars magazine in France. For more than 15 years, he will direct the publication of this magazine as well as other titles related to science fiction and popular television series.
Over the years, Girod has developed a close relationship with Lucasfilm Ltd., assisting on the filming of Star Wars Episodes I-III and meeting George Lucas on several occasions. He even had the opportunity to appear as an extra in “The Phantom Menace.” In addition to his work as an editor, Girod has organized official Star Wars conventions in France and contributed to the Star Wars exhibit at the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie in Paris. Today, Patrice Girod serves as Director of Exhibitions and Collections for ScienceFictionArchives.com and StarfixMuseum.
Monsters and heroes of cinema
Recently, I discovered that there was an exhibition at the Galerie Saint-Jacques in Saint-Quentin, in the Aisne, of February 24 to November 3, 2024. This traveling exhibition is organized by the Starfix Cinema & Pop Culture Museum and presents a collection of original pieces from iconic films, including costumes, models, sets, posters and other mythical objects. You can find costumes from films like StarWars, Indiana Jones, Stargate, but also films from the Alien franchise, and some of Luc Besson's films.
So one day on vacation, I headed to the city of Saint-Quentin, a city I hadn't set foot in for almost 30 years. Saint-Quentin is a city rich in cultural heritage, and worth discovering just for its Basilica, the D'Isle park or the Jacques Chirac bridge.
Once there, the gallery presents an impressive collection of around forty costumes, objects and models from around twenty films. All the costumes are authentic and have been used, directly or indirectly, in the production of these cinematographic works. One can only admire the attention paid to these pieces, which are in exceptional condition.
As a science fiction enthusiast, I am particularly amazed by these costumes that awaken our imagination. Although it is forbidden to touch them, we can appreciate the meticulous details that are not always visible on the screen. And concerning the model representing a part of the Minimoys village, nothing has been left to chance.
Each piece has its own description on a sign, a description which traces the history of the costume and its place in the film.
It will take you about an hour to explore everything, and it costs just a two-euro coin. On display until November 3.
