Take Flight

Everyone loves posters. Whether it’s a poster of an exotic island location, a celebrity, sports star, or musician, or any myriad of hobbies specific images such as sports cars, sailboats, or even girls the list is endless of what posters people will put on their walls. The one commonality is that most people have posters in their homes. Why most people do this, and we are no exception, is to remind ourselves of what we look up to and what we strive to reach or attain in one way or another. At Take Flight we wanted to bring this same experience to Traceurs around the globe in a Parkour specific fashion. We have worked hard and are proud to announce that we officially have brought the very first authentic Parkour posters to the Parkour community.

A few weeks ago we reached a special agreement with various parties that has allowed us to bring two products to our site that are exclusive to the Take Flight store. The products are official 27”x40” District B13 and District 13 Ultimatum movie posters! Both posters are displayed here in this post and are linked to their actual product location where you can purchase them. We have searched long and hard and we know for sure that you won’t find these posters anywhere else online or in stores. Only a few hundred of each of these posters were ever printed and these are extremely rare pieces of Hollywood merchandise and Parkour history.

If you loved District B13 and its sequel District 13 Ultimatum, these are the perfect compliments to your DVD and Parkour clothing collection. In brilliant detail these posters which feature David Belle are constant reminders of what Parkour is, where it came from, and what we strive to reach at Traceurs. We only have a limited supply of these posters available, and at only $29.95 they will only be up for sale for so long before they are all snatched up by Parkour enthusiast and collectors. Take this opportunity to get one, or both, for yourself now. These are a hot item, and they are sure to run out soon!

The entire Geek World interview of David Belle is transcribed here. You can also listen to the audio version of the interview at this link:

http://www.geekworldradio.com/GW_David_Belle_intv.mp3

AnnaMay & Dave from Geek World Interview David Belle

GW Dave: Hey, how’s it going? This is Dave from Geek World.
GW AnnaMay: And Anna from Geek World.
David Belle: I’m doing fine.  Thank you so much.

GW A: Thank you for taking the time…
DB: I’m a little thirsty cause we’re already going into our third interview but I’m holding up ok.

GW D: Great, great.
GW A: Why don’t we start off with a question about the movie District 13: Ultimatum.  We were wondering how District 13 changed from the end of the last movie to the beginning of District 13: Ultimatum and how that effected the character of Lieto?
DB: Well I think you can realize at the beginning of the film in that scene where you see him placing the mines on the wall in his head he’s saying ‘wow, things haven’t changed, promises were not kept, I’m gonna start changing things myself.’

GW D: Yeah, we love that scene, we thought that was a really great way to start off the movie and really funny too even though really awesome.
DB: Thank you very much. I really had a good time doing that scene also.

GW A: It seems like… You and Cyril Rafaelli have really great on screen chemistry, so we were wondering if you guys are also friends off set.
DB: Well as a matter of fact he happens to live two kilometers (that’s like a mile and a half) away from me.

GW A & D: That’s really funny.
GW A: When you and Cyril practice the stunts for a movie like District B13 or District 13: Ultimatum do you ever get competitive while you’re practicing?
DB: Well yes there is a definite sense of competition but I would say it’s a very positive sense because it is not to say, ‘Look I’m better than you.’ But just keep in mind that when we’re shooting the film we’re both extremely tired. Fatigue is a factor and we’re trying to show, ‘Look I can do it, you can do it, this worked well for me, make sure yours is good when you do yours,’ and the idea is to keep our creative tension high because we have to throughout the film.  So I would say it’s competition in a very positive sense.

GW A: How do you prepare for a big jump?
DB: Well you have to rehearse it beforehand and take a few smaller jumps beforehand in order to warm up.

GW A: Of all the stunts and jumps that you’ve done in movies what’s one that you are most proud of?
DB: I would say what I’m most proud of are those jumps where I really had no safety net, no cable, nothing, and when I see those on the screen I say ‘well that’s just me and the camera and just beauty of the stunt and the camera’ and I know that I was doing it with no safety net.  Now in the film there’s a really nice scene where I’m in my apartment and the apartment blows up and I go out the window and I jump up to the balcony above mine, you know that’s a nice scene, it was a very dangerous one, but that scene you know I did have support, there were some cables, so to me that doesn’t have the same degree of merit as other scenes where I like jump from one roof to another with nothing underneath.

GW A: We’ve come across a few articles where you credit your family, especially your father, with giving you the inspiration to create Parkour, can you elaborate on that a little bit?
DB: Well, you know, since my father did not bring me up I was involved in the normal sports that kids are involved in, basketball, soccer, gymnastics, you know. I had heard that my father had done that so I was trying to find my own path, and when I found it in Parkour I realized it was everything I was looking for. I found my personal sense of balance, my equilibrium, that’s what came from it. I had grown up as a very introverted child, someone who didn’t speak a lot, someone who had studied his lessons but was afraid to speak up in class. And now through Parkour I have to speak to people and show myself. It’s sort of therapeutic. You know, I was brought up not by my father but by my grandfather and my grandfather depicted my father as sort of like a hero. He said ‘Your father was a fireman who saved lives.’ And naturally you know when you’re a kid you want to resemble your father, and so when I met him when I found him I had a lot of questions to ask.

GW A: We were also wondering if you ever get into trouble for doing Parkour in public spaces.
DB: Well yes, quite often.  Because people get to know us and they know we’re not there to sow chaos, that we respect people, and that we don’t break anything, things are fine. But the problem is we travel a lot and people don’t know us everywhere and so we always have problems at the beginning.

GW D: So as long as you’re not blowing up sides of walls it’s ok?
DB: Yeah, from that perspective yeah it’s ok.

GW A: You move like a real life Spider-Man, when you were growing up were there any comic books that you were into?
DB: Well yes I did definitely follow the Spider-Man comics and as a matter of fact Sam Raimi… When Sony Pictures was going to film Spider-Man 3 Sam Raimi and Sony Pictures contacted me and had me try on the Spider-man costume, and I did. And the idea was that I was gonna do the stunts for that production. So I tried on the costume but because of other commitments I couldn’t accept the assignment.

GW D: Oh wow, that’s really cool, we had never heard that, that’s really cool.  Let me ask, you’ve been working as the Parkour coordinator for the upcoming Prince of Persia movie, is there anything you can tell us about that?
DB: Well as a matter of fact yes you know the thing was I was shooting District 13: Ultimatum and so I couldn’t move I wasn’t available. But because [Jerry Bruckheimer] had asked me various times if I could help out with the choreography, and I was told ‘when Jerry Bruckheimer wants something Jerry Bruckheimer gets it’ and so every time I had a break in the shooting I would go to Pinewood Studios in England for two weeks or three weeks. I would work with an assistant choreographer and he would get the actors doubles and they shot a whole bunch of scenes. We also trained little Daston because he’s when the character is small. There’s a kid who plays that role and we had to train the kid and that was a lot of work but we got along great with Jake and the director and I would say it was a very good experience, it really was.

GW D: That’s great, that’s great.  Just to follow that up, when developing the Parkour scenes for Prince of Persia did you play any of the videogames? (Geek World note: we think the question got a little lost in translation so the answer doesn’t actually have to do with whether or not he played the videogames)
DB: Exactly, I was asked to contribute [on Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time] to the decor to choreographing the scene and the visual elements. I was asked for my opinion regarding the choice of the decor and I remember that there was one scene that was taking place at a castle, I think this was Benjamin Gates scene, and the fact is that the script writer the screenwriter had already written the scene. But I didn’t know that and I visualized the scene and I imagined how the choreography would be. I put myself in the character’s shoes and I explained to them how I thought the scene would go and they said ‘this is impeccable, let’s go and let’s shoot.’ Then the screenwriters came and they said we already wrote this scene and now because of what you did now we have to rewrite it.  I wasn’t just there to do the movements, I was also there to provide them information on the decor, where the obstacles should be, the staging of each scene, more than just the choreography, the choice of the movements, and I would meet with everybody and I usually had a lot of ideas and then they would choose what they considered the best and they would work over that and the next day we would actually shoot/ I’d meet with the storyboarders, with the entire team, with the director, with the assistant, because they had to see I had to explain the scene as I envisioned it from start to finish to see if they liked it. Fortunately they usually liked my first suggestion. I would discuss all that then with the head of the cores and I would say at this place this should happen, it was really quite a lot of work.

GW D: That’s great.  So, there’s a fantastic scene  in District 13: Ultimatum where it’s a rooftop chase, how long does it take you guys to shoot a scene like that?
DB: The chase scene on the roof?

GW D: Yeah.
DB: It took about a week.

GW D: Wow.
GW A: And how many times did you have to do the big jump?
DB: As few as possible. Maximum of three times. In the best of circumstances on the first shoot it worked.

GW D: I can imagine. I can see that. And one other question we wanted to know is have you ever thought about going to Japan and participating in Ninja Warrior?
DB: Yes, as a matter of fact I saw that with some friends and we think it’s pretty amusing, it’s pretty cool actually. I might take a spin down there to have a good time.

GW A: We would love to see that.
GW D: We would love to see that, we think you’d probably be very very good at that.
DB: That’s right, it might be fun.

GW A: Is there anything else that you would like to tell people about District 13: Ultimatum or just about Parkour or anything else you are currently working on?
DB: Well I think there’s a chance that there might be a sequel to District 13 in the United States.

GW A: Nice!
GW D: Oh, really?  Oh that could be amazing, is there anything you can tell us about that?  That’s big, we had no idea.
DB: Well I can’t tell you much more I can just say that the project is underway and it will arrive soon.

GW D: That is great.  That definitely makes us very happy and I’m sure many other people in our geek world.
DB: I think this would be a co-production between the United States and France and there would be an American star who would play the role of the policeman.

GW A: Oh neat.
GW D: Oh wow.  I just have to ask, do you guys already have some ideas of certain cities or monuments that we might see some Parkour action on?
DB: I can’t go that far because we still haven’t done the scouting of locations yet but in any case you know your cities better than I do and the scenes will be shot in the cities that are most appropriate for the spirit of District 13 wherever they may be.

GW D: Oh, that’s great.
DB: What do you think of Boston?

GW D: Boston’s a cool place.
GW A: I think San Francisco has some really great landmarks that Parkour could look really cool on.
DB: Ok, I will pass that information on.

GW D: Could I just ask one more question?
DB: Go right ahead.

GW D: Is there any place in the world that has a certain monument or landscape that you’ve always wanted to do a cool Parkour scene on?
DB: There’s a whole bunch of beautiful places where I would love to film.  There a places in Morocco, in Greece, in Venice, there’s a whole variety of possibilities.

GW D: Well hopefully we’ll get to see a bunch of those cause we… it’s pretty amazing seeing you do those things and we’re up for as many District 13 movies as we can get.
GW A: Thank you so much for taking the time to record this interview with us.
DB: Thank you so much, thank you for taking the time to do this interview and let me just say that if the film actually gets done, by the time it gets done I promise by that time to speak American English. That would be motivation for me.

GW D: Well as long as you keep jumping across buildings that’s uh…
GW A: That’s translation enough.
DB: OK. Thank you.

Banlieue 13 Ultimatum was released in U.S. theaters today! We couldn’t be more excited for he U.S. Parkour community as a whole for this film’s debut and of course for ourselves here at Take Flight because we get to watch it too!

Banlieue 13 Ultimatum (aka District 13 Ultimatum – U.S. Title-) has been out in Europe since February of 2009, and is finally now on the big screen in America. Now that the movie is out you simply have to go and see it! This movie is only the second time David Belle has graced the presence of a theatrical release in the United States as a star of the film. And if the guns, explosions, fight sequences, and chase scenes aren’t enough to keep you strapped to your seat for the duration, David’s athleticism, talent, and fearless performance most definitely will. The film is on limited release so we recommend going to the following Fandango link to find a theater that is playing it near you.

http://www.fandango.com/district13:ultimatum_128558/movietimes?date

Don’t miss this rare chance to see David Belle on the big screen in Banlieue 13 Ultimatum. Even though the film is now playing in U.S. theaters, we don’t know how long it will continue playing! So take the day off, spend a night out, or do whatever you have to do to get to the theater and watch this film. It’ll be one of the most exciting and adrenaline packed movies you’ll go to all year.

We are very excited to announce that we are now selling official movie posters from David Belle’s films including posters from Banlieue 13 and Banlieue 13 Ultimatum! Late last night we released two posters on our site with more to come.

The two posters we released are original movie posters from District B13 (also known by it’s French title Banlieue 13) and Banlieue 13 Ultimatum (also know by it’s English title District 13 Ultimatum). Both posters are manufactured on high quality card stock and are 11”x17” in size (approx. 28cmx43cm). This sizing includes a one inch white border around the artwork. Both posters feature David Belle and Cyril Raffaelli who are the co-stars in the films.

These posters are official movie posters from the films, and with Banlieue 13 Ultimatum releasing in U.S. theaters tomorrow this poster release in just in time! Now you can  be one of the first to own a piece of Parkour history through these movies. They are incredibly priced only $19.95 each so buy one today!

We are so excited for the U.S release of Banlieue 13 Ultimatum that we have taken it upon ourselves to coordinate and host the official Facebook release event for the film! In order to help spread the word about this film we are also giving away free clothing AND free DVD’s in accordance with the event! Here are the details:

What: Banlieue 13 Ultimatum (District 13 Ultimatum – U.S. Title) is coming to theaters! Starring David Belle, this sequel to the groundbreaking Banlieue 13 is the most highly anticipated Parkour movie to date.

Where: United States of America

When: The movie releases in theaters on February 5^th, 2010. It will be on limited release so you’ll have to search for locations. We recommend this link: http://www.fandango.com/district13:ultimatum_128558/movietimes

Free DVDs and Clothing (quoted from the event page):

We are so excited for this film that we want everyone to hear about it! So invite ALL your friends to this event. If this event reaches 10,000 attendees we will give away FREE DVD’s and FREE Parkour clothing everyday leading up to the film’s release!

We have literally never been this excited for a film’s release. We hope you join us in this momentous event and opportunity to see David Belle and B13 Ultimatum on the big screen.

We have already mentioned it twice on the Take Flight Facebook page, but this will be the first time we have written about it here: Banlieue 13 Ultimatum starring David Belle, the sequel to the iconic and pioneering Banlieue 13 released in 2004, is set to release in the U.S. in less than a month! Initially released in France on February 18, 2009, the movie has premiered in countries around the world and is now set to debut in the U.S on February 5^th.

We have never been more excited for a film’s release! To see David return to the big screen with co-star Cyril Raffaelli in a story written by the internationally acclaimed director and producer Luc Besson, is so momentous an occasion that we have decided to dedicate the entire month to the film. For the next 29 days we will be posting daily looks at the film, including pictures, videos, and interviews, on our Facebook fan page for our followers to watch, discuss, and share.

Banlieue 13 is considered to be the greatest Parkour film of all time. Setting a new precedent for athleticism and true to life action within the creative capabilities of film making, the sequel Banlieue 13 Ultimatum is sure to be a continuation of what was started in the original. We hope you join us in getting amped for this film’s release, and most importantly, set the day aside in your schedule to go see the film when it is finally unveiled on February 5^th.

With the official release of B13 – Ultimatum now complete we have decided to bring our behind the scenes look at the film to an end with this final featurette. This video features David Belle, Cyril Raffaelli, and the movie’s director Patrick Alessandrin talking about the film in addition to more previously unseen footage from the making of this exciting motion picture.

http://ww.youtube.com/watch?v=3jFSQybmMFk

If you need a little more insight into B13 – Ultimatum and some of the minor characters in the film this video is sure to give it to you. Providing a behind the scenes look at each of the 5 prominent gangs in the movie, this video goes inside the film like none of our other featurettes have by spending time with each of the gang’s perspective bosses.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGA_jQS6m_0

Yesterday we posted a David Belle focused behind the scenes look at the recently released blockbuster B13 – Ultimatum. The video below is the compliment to that video; a behind the scenes look at the film focused around David’s co-star Cyril Raffaelli.

More of a fighter than a runner when compared to David, Cyril added a dynamic to the film that made him a perfect co-star to David. The differences between the two actor’s styles are shown incredibly well when this video is contrasted with the previous video. Watch and enjoy, and if you would like to watch that previous behind the scenes look featuring David Belle please click here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNe21YML_Pc

If you are not already excited about yesterday’s theatrical release of B13 – Ultimatum we have a new video for you that is sure to pump you up. This video is a behind the scenes look at the film with none other than David Belle himself! In addition to a personal perspective from David on the film (and on Parkour), this video also has some incredible behind the scenes footage of David that is not displayed in any other of our behind the scenes featurettes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kfx0YHcTuzQ