In a seaside resort on the Atlantic coast, the arrival of Monsieur Hulot causes quite a stir amongst the wealthy tourists, who simply cannot shake off their staid city habits. Monsieur Hulot tries to enjoy his holiday to the full, but his cheerful blunders unwittingly disrupt the peace and quiet of the other hotel guests. Whether in a canoe, on horseback, on the beach, on the tennis court, in the hotel restaurant, at a cemetery or during a picnic: Hulot causes one joke and mishap after another. His presence shatters all conventions and the solemn atmosphere. His elegant journey against the tide and a series of unforgettable characters turn this summer moment from the 1950s into a masterpiece of poetic burlesque.

In Les vacances de Monsieur Hulot, Jacques Tati plays the iconic character Monsieur Hulot for the first time. The pipe-smoking, raincoat-clad Hulot was the ideal vehicle for Tati’s gentle satire. He wanders through the complexities of human existence, holding up a mirror to everyone. With his tall stature and wooden movements, Hulot became a regular feature in Tati’s films and an icon of French cinema.