The 07/11/2026
Film Discussion: *The Three Lives of Boss Emile Daniel* & *The Etel Bar* (1958)
The Three Lives of Boss Emile Daniel:
This film is regularly screened at the Musée des Thoniers in Étel. It recounts the history of Étel’s famous lifeboat and pays tribute to its iconic captain, Émile Daniel, who perished at sea during the tragic accident at the Barre d’Étel in 1958 (linked to Alain Bombard’s survival experiments).
The Barre d’Étel 1958:
The film recounts the dramatic experience of Dr. Alain Bombard, famous for his Atlantic crossings as a voluntary castaway.
On that day, Bombard set out to test the effectiveness and reliability of a new type of inflatable lifeboat (the “Bombard” model) by crossing the treacherous Étel Bar, a shifting sandbar particularly feared by sailors due to the violent waves it generates.
Unfortunately, the experiment turned into a disaster when the boat capsized. The Étel sailors’ rescue boat, the Vice-Amiral-Schwerer II, which had set out to rescue them, capsized as well.
This tragedy claimed the lives of nine people, including five volunteer sea rescuers.
Film screening and discussion with director Jean-François Pahun
Free - Reservations recommended
This film is regularly screened at the Musée des Thoniers in Étel. It recounts the history of Étel’s famous lifeboat and pays tribute to its iconic captain, Émile Daniel, who perished at sea during the tragic accident at the Barre d’Étel in 1958 (linked to Alain Bombard’s survival experiments).
The Barre d’Étel 1958:
The film recounts the dramatic experience of Dr. Alain Bombard, famous for his Atlantic crossings as a voluntary castaway.
On that day, Bombard set out to test the effectiveness and reliability of a new type of inflatable lifeboat (the “Bombard” model) by crossing the treacherous Étel Bar, a shifting sandbar particularly feared by sailors due to the violent waves it generates.
Unfortunately, the experiment turned into a disaster when the boat capsized. The Étel sailors’ rescue boat, the Vice-Amiral-Schwerer II, which had set out to rescue them, capsized as well.
This tragedy claimed the lives of nine people, including five volunteer sea rescuers.
Film screening and discussion with director Jean-François Pahun
Free - Reservations recommended
Opening times
On 07/11/2026
from 15:50
See more dates
Cinéma La Rivière 11 Boulevard Charles de Gaulle
56410 Étel
56410 Étel
Input
Free
Spoken languages
French