In 1977, Marcello Mastroianni and Gérard Depardieu, aged 53 and 29, shot Bye Bye Monkey in New York City, set against the background of the Twin Towers, under the direction of Marco Ferreri. On the ground behind the two actors, stretched across a fake sandy beach, lies Macho Kong, a 49-ft pasteboard ape. The film was not a great box office success, but it was critically acclaimed when it was presented at the Cannes Film Festival in 1978, where it won the Grand Prix.
