Belle et Sébastien
Encyclopedia
Belle et Sébastien is a novel by Cécile Aubry
about a six-year-old boy named Sébastien and his dog
Belle, a Pyrenean Mountain Dog
, who live in a small French Alps Mountain village on the French side of the border between France
and Italy
. Sébastien lives with his adopted grandfather, sister, and brother, as his mother, a Rom, died after giving birth to him while trying to cross the border on Saint Sebastian's day. The novel, known in English-speaking
countries as Belle and Sebastian, was made into a French live-action television
series in 1965, and a Japanese anime
version nearly two decades
later.
, was broadcast in France from 1965 to 1970. In 1967, it was dubbed and the title was anglicized to Belle and Sebastian and first appeared on British television
's BBC1 on Monday afternoons, with an initial airing date of October 2, 1967, its initial run concluding on January 1, 1968. Shown in the time slot after Blue Peter
, this dubbed
French adventure was subsequently re-repeated many times and became an essential ingredient of school holiday
television. Filmed in and around the village of Belvédère
in the Alpes-Maritimes
, its authentic locations, sensitive writing, and winning performances by the actors, makes it an enduring classic. Its deep theme is the power and importance of love. The part of Sébastien in the TV series was played by Mehdi El Glaoui
, Cécile Aubry's son from her marriage to a Moroccan prince. Mehdi also sings the final song, L'Oiseau.
The serial spawned two further 13 part colour film sequels 'Sebastien parmi les Hommes' (Sebastien Among Men) (1968) retitled 'Belle, Sebastian and the Horses' by the BBC and 'Sebastien et la Mary-Morgane' (Sebastian and the Mary Morgan) (1970) this second sequel was not broadcast by the BBC.
The Scottish
indie pop
band Belle & Sebastian
took their name from the TV series. Lauded by critics,
version, released initially under its Japan
ese name of Meiken Jolie, was created in 1980, a joint production of MK Company, Visual 80 Productions and Toho Company, Ltd.
, with animation director Toshiyuki Kashiwakura helming the project and character designs from Shuichi Seki. The show was broadcast on French, Italian and Japanese television in 1981, with American
cable network Nickelodeon
picking it up in 1984.
Cécile Aubry
Cécile Aubry was a French film actress, author, television screenwriter and director.Born Anne-José Madeleine Henriette Bénard, Aubry began her career as a dancer...
about a six-year-old boy named Sébastien and his dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
Belle, a Pyrenean Mountain Dog
Pyrenean Mountain Dog
The Pyrenean Mountain Dog, known as the Great Pyrenees in North America, is a large breed of dog used as a livestock guardian dog.The Great Pyrenees is a very old breed, and has been used for hundreds of years by shepherds, including those of the Basque people, who inhabit parts of the region in...
, who live in a small French Alps Mountain village on the French side of the border between France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Sébastien lives with his adopted grandfather, sister, and brother, as his mother, a Rom, died after giving birth to him while trying to cross the border on Saint Sebastian's day. The novel, known in English-speaking
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
countries as Belle and Sebastian, was made into a French live-action television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series in 1965, and a Japanese anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
version nearly two decades
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
later.
Belle et Sébastien (1965–1970)
The live action show, filmed in black-and-whiteBlack-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
, was broadcast in France from 1965 to 1970. In 1967, it was dubbed and the title was anglicized to Belle and Sebastian and first appeared on British television
British television
Public television broadcasting started in the United Kingdom in 1936, and now has a collection of free and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channelsTaking the base Sky EPG TV Channels. A breakdown is impossible due to a) the number of...
's BBC1 on Monday afternoons, with an initial airing date of October 2, 1967, its initial run concluding on January 1, 1968. Shown in the time slot after Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
, this dubbed
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
French adventure was subsequently re-repeated many times and became an essential ingredient of school holiday
School holiday
School holidays are the periods during which schools are closed for study. The dates and periods of school holidays vary considerably throughout the world, and there is usually some variation even within the same jurisdiction.- Christmas holiday :In countries with a predominantly Judeo-Christian...
television. Filmed in and around the village of Belvédère
Belvédère
Belvédère is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. The village of Belvédère is an attractive village sitting above the river Vésubie at the entrance of the Gordolasque valley.-Population:-History:-The Bronze Age:...
in the Alpes-Maritimes
Alpes-Maritimes
Alpes-Maritimes is a department in the extreme southeast corner of France.- History : was created by Octavian as a Roman military district in 14 BC, and became a full Roman province in the middle of the 1st century with its capital first at Cemenelum and subsequently at Embrun...
, its authentic locations, sensitive writing, and winning performances by the actors, makes it an enduring classic. Its deep theme is the power and importance of love. The part of Sébastien in the TV series was played by Mehdi El Glaoui
Mehdi El Glaoui
Mehdi El Mezouari El Glaoui aka Mehdi El Glaoui is a French actor, the son of actress Cécile Aubry and Si Brahim El Glaoui, caïd of Telouet and grandson of T'hami El Glaoui, pasha of Marrakech....
, Cécile Aubry's son from her marriage to a Moroccan prince. Mehdi also sings the final song, L'Oiseau.
The serial spawned two further 13 part colour film sequels 'Sebastien parmi les Hommes' (Sebastien Among Men) (1968) retitled 'Belle, Sebastian and the Horses' by the BBC and 'Sebastien et la Mary-Morgane' (Sebastian and the Mary Morgan) (1970) this second sequel was not broadcast by the BBC.
The Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
band Belle & Sebastian
Belle & Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian are an indie pop band formed in Glasgow in January 1996. Belle and Sebastian are often compared with influential indie bands such as The Smiths, as well as classic acts such as Love, Bob Dylan and Nick Drake. The name Belle & Sebastian comes from Belle et Sébastien, a 1965...
took their name from the TV series. Lauded by critics,
Meiken Jolie (1981)
The animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
version, released initially under its Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese name of Meiken Jolie, was created in 1980, a joint production of MK Company, Visual 80 Productions and Toho Company, Ltd.
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
, with animation director Toshiyuki Kashiwakura helming the project and character designs from Shuichi Seki. The show was broadcast on French, Italian and Japanese television in 1981, with American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cable network Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
picking it up in 1984.