Ball State University is one of only 10 institutions in the country to participate in the showing of a French film documenting 25 years of advertising. "La Nuit des Publivores," or "The Night of the Adeaters" will play at 7 p.m. in Pruis Hall.
The film is composed of 100 of the most entertaining, unexpected and creative French language television and movie commercials, according to its Web site.
Though some of the ads convey a serious message, most of them are included in the film because of their humor, French Club President Evan Walters said.
"[France] doesn't have the same censorship that we have, so some of the [ads] are a little risqu+â-¬," she said.
Topics and products promoted in the ads include AIDS awareness, condoms, energy drinks and "a lot of margarine," she said.
Director Jean Marie Boursicot began compiling footage for "La Nuit des Publivores" in 1981, when he realized that while films and TV shows are archived, advertisements are not, according to the film's Web site.
Dorothy Stegman, modern languages and classics professor, said she heard about "La Nuit des Publivores" from the French consulate in Chicago and wanted to bring it to Ball State because of its originality and appeal to a wide audience.
She informed the consulate of Ball State's interest in the opportunity following a notice of the event from the French Embassy in December, she said, and Ball State was officially notified of its inclusion in the film's U.S. tour in January.
The Student Government Association, the College of Sciences and Humanities, the Department of Modern Languages and Classics and the French Club agreed to help pay for rights to show the film, Stegman said.
The commercials in the film were selected from a 25-year-old database that contains more than 700,000 commercials dating as far back as 1898. The film, which began as a five-reel showing in France in 1981, is now shown in more than 160 cities and 47 countries per year.
Stegman said the commercials featured in the documentary come from a variety of French-speaking countries including France, Switzerland and some African countries. The commercials provide an interesting glimpse at French culture, she said.
Walters said French language and advertising students should attend the event, as it can provide a practical, educational experience in addition to being entertaining.
Admission to the screening is free for all Ball State students. The film will be presented in French with English subtitles.
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