As part of its commitment to the cultural and creative heritage of France and Europe, LVMH today announced it will support the digital restoration of one of the general public's most beloved films, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. The film, which was directed by Jacques Demy in 1963 and starred Catherine Deneuve, won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1964 and was nominated for five Oscars.

Its restoration will allow the general public to rediscover the film in both French and international theatres. The restored version of the Umbrellas of Cherbourg will be presented at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013 in the Cannes Classics selection. The transfer of the film onto a digital format, and the use of new conservation techniques will ensure that the image and sound qualities will be preserved.

Commenting on the project, Bernard Arnault, Chairman and CEO of LVMH, said:

"We were very sensitive to the wishes of the family of Agnes Varda and Jacques Demy in digitally restoring the film to ensure this masterpiece of French cinema can be enjoyed by future generations."

Rosalie Varda-Demy, of the family production company, Cine-Tamaris, said:

"The commitment of the LVMH Group to this film - which is close to our hearts - will enable us to make a seamless transition to new digital media. The film will now be available, in all its original splendour, to theatres with digital equipment, and which may no longer support analogue film. A copy of the restored film will be given to the French national film archives to ensure it is preserved for future generations. The decision to partner with LVMH on such a project was evident from the outset because we share many common values. Jacques Demy's films have always showcased some form of French elegance!"

The project is in line with the values of LVMH, which strives to preserve and perpetuate - this time through an action in the digital space - creative practices and know-how from the past. This approach is in evidence in each of the Group's Maisons.

LVMH is proud to support this initiative with the Cannes Film Festival, the city of Cherbourg and the region of Basse-Normandie. Finally, the crowd funding of the project, which was made possible by a tremendous mobilisation of popular sentiment on the Internet, demonstrates the vast opportunities offered by the digital environment and social media.

LVMH

LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton represented in Wines and Spirits by a portfolio of brands that includes Moët & Chandon, Dom Pérignon, Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, Krug, Ruinart, Mercier, Château d'Yquem, Hennessy, Glenmorangie, Ardbeg, Wen Jun, Belvedere, 10 Cane, Chandon, Cloudy Bay, Terrazas de los Andes, Cheval des Andes, Cape Mentelle, Newton et Numanthia. Its Fashion and Leather Goods division includes Louis Vuitton, Céline, Loewe, Kenzo, Givenchy, Thomas Pink, Fendi, Emilio Pucci, Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs and Berluti. LVMH is present in the Perfumes and Cosmetics sector with Parfums Christian Dior, Guerlain, Parfums Givenchy, Parfums Kenzo, Perfumes Loewe as well as other promising cosmetic companies (BeneFit Cosmetics, Make Up For Ever, Acqua di Parma and Fresh). LVMH is also active in selective retailing as well as in other activities through DFS, Sephora, Le Bon Marché, la Samaritaine and Royal Van Lent. LVMH's Watches and Jewelry division comprises Bulgari, TAG Heuer, Chaumet, Dior Watches, Zenith, Fred, Hublot and De Beers Diamond Jewellers Ltd, a joint venture created with the world's leading diamond group.

CINÉ-TAMARIS

Created in 1954 with the name Tamaris Films to produce LA POINTE COURTE, Agnès Varda's first feature-length film and cinematic precursor to The New Wave, the production company became Ciné-Tamaris in 1975 to produce DAGUERRÉOTYPES and has been active in production, editing, film and video distribution ever since.

Among the most valued films, most of which have been distributed worldwide, ONE SINGS THE OTHER DOESN'T, VAGABOND, JANE B. FOR AGNÈS V., JACQUOT, THE GLEANERS AND I, and THE BEACHES OF AGNÈS (César for best documentary in 2009).

We pride ourselves in being one of two or three independent film production companies in existence since the 1960s and a distribution company that maintains a legacy of quality work since we distribute and produce exclusively the films of Jacques Demy and Agnès Varda.

Today, Ciné-Tamaris and the Varda-Demy family would like to be able to continue to make the most of their catalogue of historical films in the more up-to-date technological context of the digital age.

Many of the films by Agnès Varda and Jacques Demy have been restored with silver film in recent years and have been successfully re-released in theaters. Since then, the films have again begun to show signs of damage.

Today, movie theaters are equipped with digital projectors, television stations broadcast in HD, and DVDs are edited with Blu-ray. These digital restorations are essential to keeping our films' heritage seen by the general public, but the cost of this restorative work and digitization is very high for a small independent film production company like Ciné-Tamaris, despite the state funding and notably from the Centre national du cinema et de l'image animée.

The immensity of this digitization work gave us a wonderful opportunity to find new partners according to the history of each of these films.

The exhibition Le monde enchanté de Jacques Demy at the French Cinémathèque, from April 10 until August 4, is an opportunity to discover his universe and his films.

The restored version of the Umbrellas of Cherbourg will be released in French theatres on June 19, 2013.

for LVMH:
France:
DGM Conseil
Michel Calzaroni or Olivier Labesse or Sonia Fellmann or Hugues Schmitt, +33-1-40-70-11-89
or
UK:
Capital MSL
Claire Maloney, +44-(0)-207-307-5341
or
Italy:
Carlobruno&associate
Michele Calcaterra or Matteo Steinbach, +39-02-89-05-51-01
or
US:
Kekst and Company
Jim Fingeroth or Molly Morse, +1-212-521-4800
or
for Ciné-Tamaris:
France:
Pierre Laporte Communication, +33-1-45-23-14-14
pierre@pierre-laporte.com
Laurence Vaugeois, +33-1-45-23-14-14
laurence@pierre-laporte.com
or
Chine:
Christine Pernin, +86-139-1130-8033
cpernin@artgenesis.asia