C’était une urgence – Simon Kidston steps on the gas for the red cross

In 1976 the short film C’était un rendez-vous was simply about a romantic date in Paris; today the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic is about so much more. With C’était une urgence, Simon Kidston has come up with a modern interpretation of the classic film to collect donations for the Italian Red Cross.

French director Claude Lelouch made the fast-paced short film in 1976, C’était un rendez-vous. Completely uncut, a camera mounted on the bumper shows the rushing trip through early morning Paris, over the Champs Elysées, past the Arc de Triomphe, up Montmartre until the driver can finally meet his girlfriend on the steps in front of Sacré Coeur. The journey takes almost nine minutes via red traffic lights and far above the permitted maximum speed.

The fast pace and quick responsiveness are still important today. The corona virus and COVID-19 have to be faced worldwide. The current situation has an impact on every person directly or indirectly affected. Unforeseen burdens have been impacting the health system for months. Especially in hard-hit Italy, doctors and nurses work under conditions that are difficult to imagine, to their own dismay, but also that of their patients.

C’ÉTAIT UNE URGENCE – NO TIME TO WASTE

Because of the current situation, the British classic car dealer, collector and journalist Simon Kidston has launched a campaign to support the Italian Red Cross. He remembered the short film from 1976 and simply translated it into modern-day Rome. Using similar imagery, the Kidston Productions team strapped a camera to the bumper of a car racing across early morning Rome.

Claude Lelouch chose a Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL 6.9 (W116) in 1976 because of the performance, but above all because of the smooth footage made possible by the self-levelling hydropneumatic suspension. In order to create a more evocative soundtrack, he later drove the route again with a Ferrari 275 GTB and mixed it into the footage.

Simon Kidston’s car of choice in the current short film is a FIAT 125 Speziale with power increased to around 100bhp. On the roof are blue lights with the siren that was common at the time. The journey is no less exciting than in 1976 and the message is even more important when the driver finally hands over the aid package to the Red Cross in front of the Santissima Trinità dei Monti church above the Spanish Steps.

You can find out more about supporting the C’était une urgence campaign here .

Photos and Video Kidston Productions

Author: Paolo Ollig

As editor-in-chief Paolo regularly writes about all the big and small stories related to classic cars and motorbikes. Classic dreams: Lamborghini Countach and Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. View all posts by Paolo Ollig →