One cute, tiny Boîte à lire just at the bottom right corner of the belltower in Bergues, and in it a copy of Vernon Sulllivan's Et on tuera tous les affreux (1948). Although the edition says that this is translated from the American (English) by Boris Vian, it was of course written by Vian himself under the pseudonym Vernon Sullivan. Boîtes à lire wouldn't be possible in England: people would just nick the books for resale. Two adjoining countries, but two enormous worlds apart.
Boîtes à lire:
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Boîte à Lire, Dicy, Nièvre
Boîte à lire, Maisons-Laffitte, Yvelines
Boîte à lire, Sorigny, Indre-et-Loire
Boîte à Lire, Jonzac, Charente-Maritime
Boîte à lire, La Roque-d'Anthéron, Bouches-du-Rhône
Boîte à Lire, Épineuil-le-Fleuriel, Cher
Boîte à lire, Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône
Boîte à lire, East Markham, UK
Boîte à lire, La Folie Couvrechef, Caen, Calvados
Boîte à lire, Bergues, Nord
Boîte à lire, Le Havre, Seine-Maritime
Boîte à lire, Villerville, Calvados
Boîte à lire, Saint-Servan, Saint-Malo, Ille-et-Vilaine
Boîte à lire in Caen, Calvados
Boîte à Lire, Noyant d'Allier, Allier
Boîte à lire, Dampierre-en-Burly, Loiret
Boîte à lire, Illiers-Combray, Eure-et-Loir
Boîte à lire, Chartres, Eure-et-Loir
Boîte à lire, Saint-Romain-au-Mont-d'Or, Rhône
The now very famous belfry or bell tower in Bergues which plays such a prominent role in director and actor Dany Boon's amazingly successful film Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis (2008), which was unbelievably wincingly translated into English as Welcome to the Sticks. It became the most successful French film ever made, overtaking La Grande Vadrouille (1966). Boon played the bellringer in this as Antoine Bailleul, and Boon's great-uncle had in fact been the bellringer here. As there was so little camera room, though, the scenes in the film in the 'tower' were shot in a studio in Arpajon, Essonne, using polystyrene 'bells' and with beams made of fake wood.
The real post office in Bergues wasn't used, but this building belonging to GDF (Gaz de France) was, although the interior shots shown as the post office were again taken in the studio in Arcajon.
This plaque affixed to the wall states that the building, made famous by the film Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis, was given to the town by Gaz de France. It was in June 2008 that the PDG of Gaz de France gave the keys to the mayor of Bergues in the presence of Dany Boon.
The spot where Kad Merad (Philippe Abrams) and Dany Boon relieved themselves in the Canal de la Colme after numerous alcoholic drinks provided by their customers (itself a homage to Jacques Tati's Jour de fête).
And finally, where a drunken Kad Merad ended up, flying onto the diners on the terrasse of the Café de la Poste (here renamed Café de la Porte), the police in hot pursuit of him.
Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis:
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Dany Boon's Bienvenue Chez les Ch'tis
Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis, Bergues, Nord
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