Celebrating 50 years since its release, Peter Weir’s ‘The Cars That Ate Paris’ still bites hard. This cult classic from the Australian New Wave, filmed predominantly in Sofala, NSW, marked Weir’s leap from documentaries to international acclaim. 🎬🚗

The film’s quirky mix of horror, satire, and small-town intrigue premiered at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival, where it turned heads – and cars. To promote it, Weir transformed a second-hand Volkswagen into the iconic spiked buggy (seen in this clip) and had it cruise the Cannes Promenade, leaving a lasting impression.

Starring 70s favourites like Melissa Jaffer, Chris Haywood (in his film debut), and Bruce Spence, the film also features Weir’s longtime collaborators – from producers Jim and Hal McElroy to composer Bruce Smeaton.

This restored version evokes echoes of folk horror classics set in isolated communities such as ‘The Wicker Man’ and ‘Midsommar’, with Paris’s satirical take on ‘progress’ unfolding through macabre scenes like the Pioneers fancy dress ball.

👉 Stream the newly restored ‘The Cars That Ate Paris’ now on NFSA Player. Perfect for the holiday break: https://bit.ly/3P6WXVW

Title: NFSA Restores: ‘The Cars That Ate Paris’ – 'Let’s hand it over to the young people'
NFSA ID: 147
Year: 1974

#peterweir #australiannewwave #australianfilm