FEATURE FILM

Riviera 76, le Woodstock oublié

This legendary event was meant to be “the French Woodstock.” Almost no one remembers it today, because nothing — absolutely nothing — went according to plan... But in 2020, this extraordinary story resurfaced with the discovery of 153 metal canisters hidden away in a cellar, containing an untold number of film reels. Unseen for decades, these reels preserve the memory of an incredible chapter in music history : three days of a music festival at the height of the summer of 1976. A 350-hectare open-air site at the Paul Ricard Circuit in Le Castellet. The American organizers behind the legendary Woodstock at the helm. Joe Cocker roaring on stage. An expected crowd of 100,000. A budget of $1 million. The Rolling Stones' mobile recording truck on site to capture the performances for a live album... And yet, in the end, it all collapsed into spectacular failure—against the backdrop of the Var region's criminal underworld.