Screening of Jacques Becker's 1952 film 'Casque d'Or', about an ill-fated love affair in the Parisian underworld of 1898, hosted by the Institut français d'Écosse.
Institut français d'Écosse is screening Jacques Becker's Casque d'Or on Friday 19 February 2027. It's a 1952 French crime drama starring Simone Signoret and Serge Reggiani, and it's one of those old-school cinematic gems that still works on a big screen.
The story is set in the Parisian underworld of 1898, right in the middle of the Belle Époque. It's a classic setup: three gangsters and an ex-con carpenter all fall for the same beautiful golden-haired woman, and the whole thing spirals into an ill-fated love affair. It's as much about the atmosphere of old Paris as it is about the plot, and seeing it in a cinema is the way it was meant to be watched.
If you haven't spent much time there, the Institut français d'Écosse is a cultural centre that's been promoting French language and culture in Edinburgh and across Scotland since 1946. It's part of the wider Institut Français network, and it does a lot more than just film screenings: they run French courses, talks, live music and theatre, library collections, children's activities and festivals. They celebrated their 80th anniversary in 2026, so they've been a fixture of the city's cultural life for a long time.
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Casque d'Or is a great pick for a Friday night in the Old Town, especially if you're into mid-century French cinema or just fancy a bit of Belle Époque Paris on the big screen. You'll find the Institut at West Parliament Square, Edinburgh Old Town EH1 1RF.
