The story behind one of motorsport’s finest movies – Le Mans (1971) – makes its debut at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
[Not a valid template]“When you’re racing, it’s life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting.”
When you bring both an icon like Steve McQueen and a legendary event like the 24 Hours of Le Mans to the silver screen, it’s only a matter of time before the air is rich with clichés and rose-tinted glasses, as well as the above quote from the man himself.
Nevertheless, we’re very much looking forward to this new flick, set to debut at the 68th Cannes Film Festival this Saturday. Created by Andrew Marriot and directed by John McKenna and Gabriel Clarke, ‘Steve McQueen, The Man and Le Mans’ goes behind the scenes of Mr Bullitt’s efforts to get the film made in 1970 ahead of its release one year later, despite escalating production costs, the strain it placed on his marriage at the time, and even the underlying threat of Charles Manson. Including a wealth of unseen footage and outtakes, the new film includes interviews with five-time Le Mans winner (and all-round sports car legend) Derek Bell among others, as well as the late Jonathan Williams, whose Porsche 908/2 he piloted at Le Mans in 1970 was used to film footage.
For those of you who can’t make Cannes this month, ‘Steve McQueen, The Man and Le Mans’ will be released to the public this November.
Source – The Man Le Mans. For more information, check out the official homepage
