 Director Jacques Tati (qv) shot the film simultaneously with two cameras:  one was loaded with color film and one with black and white film, as a backup  copy. The film was originally intended to be released in color, but the  laboratory could not develop the color film because it was shot using a new,  experimental process, so Tati decided to release the black and white version  instead. Another version, with some color footage was released in 1961. In  1995 the original color negative was partially restored and some parts of the  black and white film were computer colorized in order to generate a new color  version faithful to Tatis original vision. This new version was released  with a short prologue detailing the shooting history of the film. The last  two versions are now available in DVD (in France), with a documentary about  the "colors of Jour de fête".