Welcome to the Sticks

Welcome to the Sticks

Cast: Dany Boon, Kad Merad, Zoe Felix, Anne Marivin
Director: Dany Boon
Running Time: 106 minutes

Synopsis: Dany Boons' Welcome to the Sticks (Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis) opened in France in February to become the biggest film in French history, with over $US200 million at the box office to date. A charming fish out water farce, Welcome to the Sticks is set in the Nord-Pas du Calais region of France, a province routinely ridiculed by the rest of the country. They speak a dialect, called Ch'Timi, that is not understood by many French people and the locals are mocked as being backward. However this genuinely warm-hearted tale won over the entire nation, with the film truly embraced by the French public.

Post office manager Philippe Abrams (Kad Merad) and his wife Julie (Zoe Felix) love the sunny South of France. But when Philippe gets caught trying to cheat his way into a transfer to a Riviera resort, the punishment could not be worse. Philippe must pay for his sins by spending two years at a post office in the dreaded Nord Pas de Calais, France's northernmost region, reputed for its heavy industry and cool climate - a prospect that fills him with dread and panic. Leaving Julie and their son Raphael behind and armed with his winter coat and furry hat, Philippe embarks on his miserable journey. Yet after settling into his new flat, Phillipe finds himself unexpectedly charmed by the region's unusual customs and warm hospitality. Everyone is friendly, kind and upbeat, especially his co-worker Antoine (Boon). Despite some early setbacks - the dialect, in particular, is a minefield of misunderstandings - Philippe soon finds that the North isn't anything like its stereotype, and starts to warm to the life and people there. But should he let on to the unbelieving Julie? Depressive by nature, she's never been happier than in her new role as the supportive wife of a man battling with adversity, it's a tricky call…

Welcome to the Sticks is Dany Boon's second feature as a director. His roles in Joyeux Noël and My Best Friend, and the unparralled success of Welcome to the Sticks, has confirmed is place as one of France's most popular performers. Boon has created a comedy with universal appeal to which most people, French or not, will be able to relate and plans for a major American remake are already underway.

Release Date: 4th September, 2008