Gabriel Clarke and John McKenna’s documentary will be presented in the Cannes Classics showcase section, which celebrates the history of filmmaking. Steve McQueen: The Man and Le Mans will be in sparkling company, among the likes of Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane and Z, by guest of honour Costa Gavras. Here are a few facts and figures about the film Le Mans that inspired the documentary:

- It was shot between 7 June and 10 November 1970. Filming finished two months late.
- Two actual racing cars, a Ford GT40 and a Porsche 908 were fitted with cameras. The Porsche was used for the shots during the race.
- Porsche lent the 917 LM n°25 in which Vic Elford-Kurt Ahrens started the race from pole position for the shoot. Hebert Linge was the only person allowed to drive it.
- After the race, the film crew staged a reconstruction of part of the first lap, from Tertre Rouge corner onwards.
- Six winners of the Le Mans 24 Hours played a role in the film shoot: Masten Gregory, Jacky Ickx, Richard Attwood, Gérard Larrousse, Derek Bell and Jürgen Barth. They have sixteen Le Mans victories between them. Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood won the 1970 race in a Porsche 917, the first win for the German manufacturer. In the film, the winner is also a 917.
The Porsche 917 n°20 seen in the film belonged to Solar, McQueen’s production company. McQueen would have liked to compete in the 1970 race with Jackie Stewart, Formula One world champion at the time, but his insurers vetoed the idea.
- The two Lola T70 chassis disguised as a Ferrari 512 and a Porsche 917 for the accident scenes were affectionately nicknamed Lolari and Porschola by the film crew.
- The music to Le Mans was composed by Michel Legrand, who had previously won an Oscar for his score for The Thomas Crown Affair, in which McQueen also starred.
Le Mans premiered in Indianapolis in June 1971. McQueen did not attend the screening.
- The actor was born on 24 March 1930 and died on 7 November 1980. The day he died, French television cancelled programmes and screened Le Mans as a tribute to him. Steve McQueen was the proud owner of 55 cars and 210 motorbikes.

Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO                       Translated from French by Emma Paulay

Photo: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, LE MANS CLASSIC, FRIDAY 9 to SUNDAY 11 JULY 2010. During the 1970 24 hours of Le Mans, this Porsche 905 fitted with cameras was driven by Herbert Linge and Jonathan Williams.