After its run in Manila back in November/December last year, the French Film Festival makes its way to Cebu, screening a handful of gems of French cinema this February 29-March 3, 2024 at the SM City Cebu.
Presented by the Embassy of France to the Philippines, the Alliance française de Cebu, in cooperation with SM Supermalls, the festival brings a selection of seven films catering to every taste.
Leading the lineup is Les Choses qu'on dit, les choses qu'on fait, a romantic comedy that shows how relationships can be complicated sometimes.
Supremes, a dance film, offers a glimpse of the French urban/hiphop dance scene.
Le dernier métro and Les parapluies de Cherbourg can satisfy the cravings of cinephiles yearning for classic films.
Meanwhile, Goliath is a drama that tackles serious environmental issues.
Lastly, Les deux Alfred, can tickle the funny bones with comedic situations at a tech start up.
French Ambassador Her Excellency Marie Fontanel believes that the young vibrant population of the Philippines should be exposed to the diversity of cultures, and "through cinema, the Filipino youth can have the chance to see a different perspective in life beyond the regular programming of theaters."
In the words of French President Emmanuel Macron: "The French spirit continues to astonish, fascinate and change the world."
French cinema entertains the audience with the unexpected twists and turns, and delivers messages that can help build a better world. The French Film Festival in Cebu is making it iconic.
Here is the screening schedule of the French Film Festival in Cebu.
The story of global cinema in the 21st century so far is the dominance of superhero films adapted from comicbooks with the Marvel Cinematic Universe leading the charge for the past 15 years or so. But there is so much more to films adapted from comics than just the superhero fare from DC and Marvel Comics, known as the Big Two US comic publishers.
On the other side of the Atlantic, there are the Asterix & Obelix films based on the French comicbook Asterix created by Albert Uderzo and René Goscinny. The comicbook has been around for more than 60 years predating most of the Marvel superheroes that have already hit the big screen. There have been 40 albums of Asterix released so far, with the latest being Asterix and the White Iris that had an initial print run of 5 million copies. Throughout the decades, English translations of Asterix comics have found their way to local bookstores. Although they may not be household names in here compared to France, there may be some who are familiar with the adventures of Asterix, the Gaul who by the help of a magic potion, has kept his small fishing village from getting conquered by the Romans.
Now, the fifth and latest film installment, Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom has made its way to Philippine cinemas via the 26th French Film Festival.
Directed by Guillaume Canet, who also stars as Asterix and Gilles Lellouch as Obelix, Middle Kingdom sees the titular characters travel to China in aid of Princess Sass-Yi (Julie Chen) in freeing her mother, the Empress (Linh-Dan Pham), from the traitorous Prince Deng Tsin Quin (Bun Hay Mean). The rag tag band that also includes trader Grandemaïs (Jonathan Cohen) and the Princess' bodyguard Tat Han (Leanna Chea), encounters numerous adventures over land and sea as they head towards the Middle Kingdom. In China, they cross paths with Julius Caesar (Vincent Cassel) who has also set his sights on conquering China to get back at his lover, Cleopatra (Marion Cotillard).
Just like the comicbooks, the film is littered with numerous puns for names like Caius Antivirus (Swedish footballer Zlatan Ibrahimović), Titanix (Orelsan), Tabascos (French Olympic gold medalist swimmer Florent Manaudou), and the aforementioned Deng Tsin Quin.
Anachronisms also are a plenty like the vibrating messenger pigeons, Cleopatra's wardrobe, and pop songs like, Kung Fu Fighting, and Lionel Richie's Say You, Say Me which served the movie's love theme. And yes, there is the obligatory love interests of the leads.
All of these just point to how similar Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom is to the Philippine action/adventure comedies of the 1980s-1990s that parodied pop culture of the time, but with a lot better visual and special effects. Asterix humor may be juvenile at most, but it is extremely accessible even to non-readers of the comics. And with French Film Festival tickets costing just about a third of the regular cinema fare, it is worth taking a chance just to have a change of pace from the usual Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster.
Long time readers will be rewarded though in seeing come to life on the big screen Dogmatix, Getafix, Vitalstatistix, Cacofonix, Unhygienix, and the other villagers. It is a bit jarring though when the names seen at the English subtitlles do not match with the French audio revealing that a lot of the names were changed in the English translations since the original names (puns in French) would not fly at all to a non-French speaker.
RAd's Page Turners | Asterix the Gaul, Asterix and the White Iris
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After watching the Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom, viewers may be interested to check out the source the Asterix comics books. A good place to start is the first volume Asterix the Gaul, written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo.
The latest volume, Asterix and the White Iris by writer Fabcaro and illustrator Didier Conrad was just published on October 26, 2023 so it is still hot off the press, so to speak.
Asterix and Obelix: The Middle Kingdom is part of the 26th French Film Festival happening on November 25-December 3, 2023 at the SM Mall of Asia and SM Megamall Cinemas. Tickets are for P150 each with a discounted price of P100 available as well.
With the weather fully cooperating, the 24th French Film Festival rolled out the red carpet for French director Nils Tavernier at the opening night highlighted by the screening of his film L’Incroyable histoire du facteur cheval/The Ideal Palace.
The cocktail reception held at The Gallery, Greenbelt 5 quickly overflowed with people that had French Ambassador Nicolas Galey extremely busy with welcoming and greeting guests left and right. Spotted are the usual personalities from the diplomatic corps, and Philippine cinema. Also in attendance that night was losing senatorial bet Samira Gutoc.
Luckily, I was able to spot director Nils Tavernier during the cocktails enabling my friends and I to have some photos with him before most of the guests figured out who he was among the crowd.
The people enjoyed the cocktails by Bizu very much that it took some time to convince everybody to head over to the Greenbelt 3 Cinema to watch the opening film.
L’Incroyable histoire du facteur cheval/The Ideal Palace
Director Nils Tavernier was on hand to present his film L’Incroyable histoire du facteur cheval/The Ideal Palace that officially opened the 24th French Film Festival. The movie tells the true to life story of Ferdinand Cheval (Jacques Gamblin), a rural postman who for 33 years built a castle for his daughter Alice despite having no knowledge of architecture. It was refreshing to see such an understated way of storytelling like how the relationship between Cheval and his eventual wife Philomène (Laetitia Casta) blossomed after an offer of a drink of water. The showing of grief was equally understated even as Cheval kept on losing members of his family so that the impact was palpable when he did finally allow himself to break down. This is a stark contrast to the drawn out, melodramatic cry fest that plagues local productions. The picturesque scenes coupled with the subtlety of how Tavernier portrayed relationships and expressions of love made this film a must see.
Le Grand bain/Sink or Swim
The press preview from weeks ago showed Gilles Lellouche's comedy La Grand bain/Sink of Swim which is about a group of middle aged men each with their respective crises who eventually overcome the odds through synchronized swimming. The film's main protagonist Bertrand (Mathieu Amalric) is unemployed and clinically depressed. He finds a sort of solace by taking a dip in his local pool. Out of curiosity or probably desperation, he then joins the pool's men's synchronized swimming team much to the surprise of his family. But he soon discovers that the other guys there are just like him, all struggling with different issues in their respective lives. Soon, this ragtag band of unlikely swimmers find themselves training for the world championships under the guidance of former world class synchronized swimmers (who also have issues of their own). As expected and against all odds, they triumph in the end, not just at the championships but in life as well. The film's tackling of issues regarding mental health and relationships is commendable but things sank quickly once the focus went on to the team's training for the worlds. I will not go into detail how improbable the team's road to becoming competitive athletes was that I had to pull my suspension of disbelief card. I know that this was a feel good film with some tears along the way. But it was hard to convince myself that the team's triumph in the end seemingly solved all of their personal issues as well. Had the film remained a bit more grounded and not crossed over into almost a fantasy, I would enjoyed it and laughed out more instead of having to raise my eyebrows in skepticism. The Manila leg of the 24th French Film Festival runs up to June 18, 2019 at the Bonifacio High Street and Greenbelt 3 Cinemas.
Time for the foreign language film festival season to begin as the 24th French Film Festival rolls out the red carpet on June 12-18, 2019 at the Bonifacio High Street Cinemas and Greenbelt 3 Cinemas.
The festival welcomes French director Nils Tavernier whose works De Toutes nos forces/The Finishers and his latest, L’Incroyable histoire du facteur cheval/The Ideal Palace are part of the lineup this year.
Director Nils Tavernier
A total of fifteen French contemporary films, including those two directed by Tavernier, are in the lineup with genres ranging from drama, comedy, sci-fi, animation, and documentary.
A special screening of Band de Filles, co-presented by SPARK! Philippines, followed by a forum on issues affecting young girls in the Philippines and France will happen on June 14, 2019. This is in line with France's commitment to the defense of women's rights all over the world.
French Ambassador Nicolas Galey
The film festival also pays tribute to Philippine Cinema on June 12, 2019 with screenings of Pepe Diokno's Above the Clouds, Carlo Catu's Waiting for Sunset, Carlo Manatad's Jodilerks dela Cruz, Employee of the Month, and National Artist for Cinema, Kidlat Tahimik's Mababangong Bangungot.
After the Manila leg, the festival travels to Cebu (Ayala Center Cebu, June 20-22, 2019), Davao (Abreeza Mall Davao, June 28-30, 2019) and for the first time, to Bacolod (Ayala Capitol Central Mall, July 10-12, 2019).
Admission to the screenings at Bonifacio High Street Cinemas and Greenbelt 3 Cinemas cost s P150 each to cover the cinemas' operational costs.
Here are the films lined up for the 24th French Film Festival.
De Toutes nos forces/The Finishers (2014)
Director: Nils Tavernier
Cast: Jacques Gamblin, Alexandra Lamy, Fabien Héraud, Sophie de Fürst
Like all teenagers, Julien dreams of adventure and thrilling sensations. But when you live in a wheelchair, such dreams are difficult to fulfill. To do so, Julien challenges his father to compete with him in the "Ironman" triathlon in Nice, one of the most difficult sporting events in the world. A whole family comes together and reconnects in an attempt to see this incredible exploit through.
L’Incroyable histoire du facteur cheval/The Ideal Palace (2017)
Director: Nils Tavernier
Cast: Jacques Gamblin, Laetitia Casta, Bernard Le Coq, Florence Thomassin
South of France, 1879. Ferdinand Cheval is a reserved and quiet man. A rural mail carrier, he enjoys the loneliness of his 20 mile rounds while daydreaming about a world full of wonder and beauty he sees only through postcards and magazines. After the birth of Alice, his daughter, he has a revelation: to build her a castle to make her a princess. He builds with no architectural background, driven only by his love for Alice, the unconditional support of his wife, Philomène, and his vision.
A group of 40-something guys, all on the verge of a mid-life crisis, decide to form their local pool’s first ever synchronized swimming team – for men. Braving the skepticism and ridicule of those around them, and trained by a fallen champion trying to pull herself together, the group sets out on an unlikely adventure and, on the way, will rediscover a little self-esteem and a lot about themselves and each other.
For 16 year old Marième, life is like a succession of prohibitions – the censorship in the neighborhood, boys ruling the roost, school's dead end... But her encounter with three liberated girls changes everything. They dance, fight back, talk loudly, laugh at everything. Marième meets Vic and joins the gang, to make the most of her youth.
La Promesse de l’Aube/Promise at Dawn (2017)
Director: Eric Barbier
Cast: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Pierre Niney, Didier Bourdon, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Catherine McCormack, Finnegan Oldfield, Pawel Puchaliski, Nemo Schiffman
From his difficult childhood in Poland and his adolescence beneath the sun of Nice, to his adventures as a pilot in Africa during the Second World War, Romain Gary lived an extraordinary life. But Gary owed his fury for a thousand different lives, to become a great man and a famous writer, to his mother, Nina. It was the crazy love of this endearing and eccentric mother that will make him one of the most important novelists of the twentieth century with a life full of twists and turns, passions, and mysteries. But this boundless maternal love will also be his burden throughout his life.
Victoria/In Bed with Victoria (2016)
Director: Justine Triet
Cast: Virginie Efira, Vincent Lacoste, Melvil Poupaud, Laurent Poitrenaux, Laure Calamy, Alice Daquet
Victoria Spick, a criminal defense attorney on the verge of an emotional breakdown, goes to a wedding where she runs into her old friend, Vincent, and Sam, a one-time dealer she had successfully represented. The next day, Vincent is accused by his girlfriend of attempted murder. The only witness is the victim’s dog. Victoria reluctantly agrees to defend him, and at the same time, hires Sam as her nanny. Her life is about to take a devastating turn.
Le Brio (2017)
Director: Yvan Attal
Cast: Daniel Auteuil, Camélia Jordana, Yasin Houicha, Nozha Khouadra, Nicolas Vaude, Jean-Baptiste Lafarge
Neïla Salah grew up in Creteil and dreamed of becoming a lawyer. On her first day at the renowned Assas Law School in Paris, she runs up against Pierre Mazard, a professor known for his provocative behavior and misconduct. To redeem himself, he agrees to prep Neïla for a prestigious public speaking contest. Cynical and demanding, Pierre might become the mentor she needs... But to do that, both of them will have to rise above their prejudices.
Mes Provinciales/A Paris Education (2018)
Director: Jean Paul Civeyrac
Cast: Andranic Manet, Gonzague Van Bervesseles, Corentin Fila, Diane Rouxel, Jenna Thiam, Sophie Verbeek, Valentine Catzéflis, Charlotte Van Bervessel, Nicolas Bouchad, Laurent Delbeque, Jeanne Ruff
Etienne comes to Paris to study filmmaking at the Sorbonne. He meets Mathias and Jean-Noël who share his passion for film. But as they spend the year studying, they have to face challenges in friendship and love, as well as choosing their artistic battles.
Dans la brume/Just a Breath Away (2018)
Director: Daniel Roby
Cast: Romain Duris, Olga Kurylenko, Fantine Harduin, Michel Robin, Anna Gaylor, Réphaël Ghrenassia, Erja Malatier, Alexis Manenti, Maurice Antoni, Robin Barde
Mathieu will stop at nothing to get his 11 year old daughter Sarah out of the hermetic chamber she has been living in since she was born due to a childhood illness. Suddenly, an earthquake hits Paris. A deadly fog seeps out of the earth. Panic spreads across the city. Mathieu and Sarah's mother, Anna, are among the few survivors who find refuge on the rooftops and upper floors of the tallest buildings. But they have to leave Sarah in her bubble to escape to the top floor. As the hours pass, they get increasingly worried about their daughter. Rescue squads are unable to manage the situation. All hope that the fog will clear begin to fade. Mathieu and Anna count the time left on the batteries that power Sarah's bubble. How can they replace them before they run out and leave her unprotected from the spreading danger? Knowing they can count only on themselves, and pressed for time, they have to find a way to make it outside through the fog.
Barbara (2017)
Director: Mathieu Amalric
Cast: Mathieu Amalric, Jeanne Balibar, Vincent Peirani, Aurore Clément, Grégoire Colin, Fanny Imber, Pierre Michon
An actress will play Barbara, the French singer. The shoot will soon start. The actress works on her character, her voice, the songs, scores, the gestures, knitting, scenes she has to learn… Things are going okay, there's progress, development, she is even overwhelmed. The film director also works, through his encounters, through archives, music, he lets himself be submerged, overwhelmed like the actress, by the actress.
Jusqu’à la Garde/Custody (2018)
Director: Xavier Legrand
Cast: Denis Ménochet, Léa Drucker, Thomas Gioria, Mathilde Auneveux, Mathieu Saïkaly, Florence Janas, Saadia Bentaïeb, Sophie Pincemaille
Miriam and Antoine Besson have divorced, and Miriam is seeking sole custody of their son, Julien, to protect him from a father she claims is violent. Antoine pleads his case as a scorned dad and the appointed judge rules in favor of joint custody. A hostage to the escalating conflict between his parents, Julien is pushed to the edge to prevent the worst from happening.
By a little bay near Marseille lies a picturesque villa owned by an old man. His three children have gathered by his side for his last days. It’s time for them to weigh up what they have inherited of their father’s ideals and the community spirit he created in this magical place. The arrival, at a nearby cove, of a group of boat people will throw these moments of reflection into turmoil.
Le Grand Méchant Renard/The Big Bad Fox & Other Tales (2017)
Director: Benjamin Renner and Patrick Imbert
Whoever thinks that the countryside is calm and peaceful is mistaken. In it, we find especially agitated animals, a Fox that thinks it's a chicken, a Rabbit that acts like a stork, and a Duck who wants to replace Father Christmas. If you want to take a vacation, keep driving past this place...
Madame Hyde/Mrs. Hyde (2018)
Director: Serge Bozon
Cast: Isabelle Huppert, Romain Duris, Jose Garcia, Adda Senani
Mrs. Géquil is an eccentric teacher despised by her colleagues and students. On a stormy night, she is struck by lightning and faints. When she wakes up, she feels decidedly different… Now will Mrs. Géquil be able to keep the powerful and dangerous Mrs. Hyde contained?
Varda by Agnès (2018)
Director: Agnès Varda
An unpredictable documentary from a fascinating storyteller, Agnès Varda’s next film sheds light on her experience as a director, bringing a personal insight to what she calls “cine-writing”, traveling from Rue Daguerre in Paris to Los Angeles and Beijing. Here is the screening schedule of the Manila leg of the 24th French Film Festival.
The 24th French Film Festival in the Philippines is organized by the Embassy of France to the Philippines, Institut Français, Unifrance, the Alliance Française de Manille, and the Film Development Council of the Philippines, in cooperation with the Ayala Malls Cinemas, the SSI Group, Inc., and Central Square, and with the support of Lacoste, Peugeot Philippines, Air France, SPARK! Philippines, Pioneer Films, Cignal, TV5Monde, TeamApp, Marithé François Girbaud, Bizu, Don Papa, Le Cellier, and media partners Art Plus Magazine, Manilascope, and Spot.ph.
Angeli Bayani, Bembol Roco, Yayo Aguila, and Eula Valdez
The threat of a heavy downpour
didn’t stop the stars, VIP’s, and guests who love French cinema from strutting
down the red carpet at the Première Night of the 23rd French Film
Festival held recently at the Central Square, Bonifacio Global City.
I guess that everyone there,
myself included, couldn’t wait to get back in a celebratory mood after last
year’s opening got cancelled due to security concerns. While moderate rain
poured outside, celebrities also poured inside like actors Yayo Aguila, Angeli
Bayani, Mon Confiado, Cherie Gil, Bembol Roco, Eula Valdez, and Althea Vega.
Rock star Ely Buendia was also spotted walking the red carpet that night. I heard
that these celebrities arrived at the venue through a motorcade sponsored by
Peugeot.
RAd with the usual suspects at foreign language film festivals: Rob, Dagny, Marco, Marz, and Toto
The food by Paris Délice and
cocktails by Don Papa at the reception were such a hit that it took some effort
to um, force the guests to head to the cinema for the actual film screening. But
due to technical issues, the previously announced film to be screened that
night, Taxi 5, had to be replaced
with Épouse-moi mon pote/Marry Me, Dude.
Épouse-moi mon pote/Marry Me, Dude
One of the goals of the festival
in recent years is to develop an audience so that French films can be released
commercially beyond the festival. And to test the waters, this year’s edition
has included a few mainstream movies that are accessible and somehow relatable
to the Filipino audience. And Épouse-moi mon pote/Marry Me, Dude, released in 2017, is one of the films that will have
a wider-commercial release later on through the distribution of Pioneer Films.
The movie stars Tarek Boudali
(who also directed and co-wrote the film) as Yassine, a Moroccan who becomes an
illegal immigrant in France when he loses his student visa after a night of
indiscretion. Marrying his slacker bestfriend, Fred (Philippe Lacheau) looks to
be a solution to Yassine’s problem that is until immigration officer Dussart
(Philippe Duquesne) suspects that the marriage is a sham. To further complicate
Yassine’s problems, add to the mix his former flame Claire (Andy Raconte), Fred’s
girlfriend Lisa (Charotte Gabris), and of all people, his mother (Baya Belal). The
film follows how Yassine and Fred try to keep the appearance of a married gay couple
to satisfy Dussart while keeping the rest, especially the women in Yassine’s life,
out of the loop. But sooner or later, this juggling act of Yassine is bound to
get out of hand and he has to come clean during the film’s eventual climax.
The film did deliver some laughs
but the shallow and stereotypical depiction of homosexual couples and lifestyle
meant that the gags that relied on this worn out its welcome quite earlier on for
me. I am not a huge fan of the romantic comedy genre with everything getting
sorted out and everyone being happy in the end. And this film did have a grand
picturesque ending that had almost practically everyone joining in the celebratory
finale even if they didn’t have a stake to whatever happened to Yassine.
Despite my misgivings with this
film, I think that having something light (albeit offensive) worked well for this
particular evening. It would have put a damper on the celebratory mood seeing
yet another of those disturbing films starring Isabelle Huppert especially now that
the red carpet was rolled out once again after last year’s cancellation.
And better to have had some laughs before heading out on the road with the
prospect of a very rainy weekend ahead.
More than 20 films are ready to
roll at the 23rd French Film Festival this June 6-12, 2018 at
Greenbelt 3, Bonifacio High Street, and for the first time, UP Town Center
cinemas.
A varied selection of 14
contemporary French movies make up the main lineup of the festival including critically
acclaimed films like Personal Shopper,
La Prière, and Django, and films set in the world of the arts like Cézanne et moi, Polina, and Yves Saint
Laurent. Almost all genres for every film buff are covered with thedramas Orpheline and Une Vie, the
comedies Épouse-moi mon pote and Rock‘n Roll, the light science fiction
Seuls, the animated Louise en hiver, and the documentary Voyage à travers le cinéma français.A very recent French blockbuster, the
action packed Taxi 5 will have its
red carpet premiere on June 8, 2018.
In celebration of the centenary
of Jean-Pierre Melville, one of the most influential directors of all time who
pioneered French film noir, the festival will feature a retrospective of 7 of
his films including 24 heures dans la
vie d’un clown, Le Silence de la mer,
Bob Le Flambeur, Léon Morin Prêtre, Le Doulos, L’Armée des ombre, Le Cercle rouge curated by the Institut Français.
The French Film Festival have always paid tribute to Philippine cinema
on June 12, Philippine Independence Day. On this day, two of Raymond Red’s
films, the short film Anino and the
feature length Himpapawid, will be
screened. Red is a pioneer in Philippine independent cinema and holds the
distinction of being the first ever Filipino to be awarded the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for his Anino.
Zig Dulay’s Bagahe that recently won
the grand prize, Cyclo d’or, at the Vesoul Asian Film Festival rounds up
the Philippine selection.
The Manila leg of the 23rd French Film Festival
begins at the Greenbelt 3 Cinemas on June 6-12, 2018 while the Bonifacio High
Street cinemas roll the films on June 8-12, 2018. The newest addition to the
festival, the UP Town Center cinemas will screen the films on June 10-11, 2018. After
the Manila leg, the festival flies to Davao with screenings at the Abreeza Mall
on June 21-22, 2018. Then the festival lands in Cebu screening at the Ayala
Center in June 25-27, 2018. Tickets to all the screenings are priced at an
affordable P150 to cover the operational costs of the cinemas.
French
Embassy Audiovisual Attaché Martin Macalintal, Wilson Yuloque of Pioneer Films, FDCP Chairperson Liza Diño, and French Ambassador Nicolas Galey
Starring: Guillaume Canet,
Guillaume Gallienne, Alice Pol, Sabine Azéma, Déborah François
They were rebels, fearless and curious, and
they loved each other the way you love when you’re 13. Hopes, doubts, girls,
dreams of glory: they shared it all. Paul is rich and Emile poor. They haunt
the same places, sleep with the same women, and spit together on the
bourgeoisie that spits right back. They draw by day the models with whom they
spend their nights, and hop on a train for thirty hours just to catch a sunset.
Now, Paul Cézanne is an artist and Emile Zola a writer. Fame has passed Paul by
while Emile has it all: glory, money & a perfect wife – the woman Paul used
to be in love with. They judge each other, admire each other, confront each
other. They lose touch and meet again, like a couple that cannot stop loving each
other.
Django (2016)
Director: Étienne Comar
Starring: Reda Kateb, Cécile de
France
Paris, 1943. During the German Occupation,
gypsy Django Reinhardt, a true hero of the guitar, is at the peak of his
career. Every night, he has Paris reeling to his swing music at the Folies
Bergères, while his gypsy brethren are hunted down and massacred throughout
Europe. When the German propaganda ministry wants to send him to Berlin for a
series of concerts, he senses imminent danger and decides to flee to
Switzerland with the help of one of his admirers, Louise de Klerk. He travels
to Thonon-les-Bains, on the bank of Lake Geneva, with his pregnant wife,
Naguine, and his mother, Negros, but their escape is more complicated than
anticipated. The three end up plunged into the turmoil of World War 2. During
these difficult times, Django Reinhardt remained an exceptional performer and
composer who resisted with his art and his sense of humor, constantly seeking a
form of musical perfection.
Épouse-moi mon pote/Marry Me, Dude (2017)
Director: Tarek Boudali
Starring: Tarek Boudali, Philippe
Lacheau, Charlotte Gabris, David Marsais, Julien Arruti, Baya Belal, Philippe
Duquesne
Yassine, a young Moroccan man, comes to Paris
to study architecture on a student visa. But due to an unfortunate incident, he
fails his exams, loses his visa, and finds himself an illegal immigrant in
France. To remedy the situation, he marries his best friend. Just when he
thinks everything is taken care of, a tenacious immigration investigator
decides to follow them to make sure it wasn't a sham marriage.
Louise en Hiver/Louise by the Shore (2015)
Director: Jean-François Laguionie
At the end of summer, an old lady watches as
the last train of the season leaves the small seaside station of Biligen
without her. The town is deserted. The weather rapidly deteriorates and the
arrival of high tides cuts electricity and all means of communication. Fragile
and neat, not half as tough as Robinson, Louise may not survive winter.
Four moments in the lives of four female
characters. A little country girl, caught up in a tragic game of hide-and-seek.
A teenager runaway who bounces from man to man because anything is better than
grim family life. A young woman who moves to Paris and has a brush with
disaster. And finally, an adult woman who thought she was safe from her own
past. Little by little, these characters form one and the same heroine.
Personal Shopper (2016)
Director: Olivier Assayas
Starring: Kirsten Stewart, Anders Danielsen, Lars Eidinger, Sigrid
Bouaziz
Maureen is a young American woman in Paris making her living as a
personal shopper for Kyra, a celebrity. Also, Maureen may have the psychic
ability to communicate with spirits, just like her twin brother, Lewis, who
recently passed away. She soon starts receiving ambiguous messages coming from
an unknown source.
Starring: Anastasia Shevstova,
Véronika Zhovnitska, Nils Schneider
Moscow, early 90s. Polina, aged 8, is a gifted
ballerina. Coming from a modest background, she joins the prestigious school of
Professor Bojinsky, who trains dancers for the Bolshoi. He immediately grasps
her tremendous potential and makes her work so hard that, at only 18, her dream
finally comes true as she enters the prestigious Bolshoi. This is when she
meets Adrien, a charming French dancer. He will help her to discover not only
love but, more importantly, a new form of dance, more contemporary and
expressive, a kind of dance that will change her life forever. From Moscow to
Aix-En-Provence and Antwerp, from success to disillusion, we follow Polina's
incredible destiny.
La Prière/The Prayer (2018)
Director: Cédric Kahn
Starring: Anthony Bajon, Damien Chapelle, Alex Brendemühl, Louise
Grinberg
To stop using drugs, twenty-two-year-old Thomas
joins an isolated community in the mountains. Run by former drug addicts, the
members overcome their addiction through prayer and work. Here, Thomas
discovers friendship, rules, love, and faith.
Rock’n Roll (2017)
Director: Guillaume Canet
Starring: Guillaume Canet, Marion Cotillard
At the age of 43, Guillaume Canet has every
reason to be happy. Yet his life with Marion, his son, his country house, and
his horses all make him look like a has-been. He seems to have lost his sex
appeal. Guillaume understands that he must change everything, and fast. And
he'll have to go to great lengths to do so, while his nearest and dearest look
on with amazement.
Seuls/Alone (2014)
Director: David Moreau
Starring: Sofia Lesaffre,
Stéphane Bak, Jean-Stan du Pac, Thomas Doret
Leïla, 16, wakes up in an empty city. Where are
her parents? Where has everyone gone? Thinking she must be the sole survivor of
a mysterious catastrophe, Leïla wanders the strangely deserted streets of
Fortville and eventually meets four other teenagers. Together, they join forces
and attempt to survive in a desolate and increasingly hostile world. But are
they really alone?
Taxi 5 (2018)
Director: Franck Gastambide
Starring: Franck Gastambide, Malik Bentalha,
Bernard Farcy, Sissi Duparc
Sylvain Marot, a Parisian cop and exceptional driver, is transferred to the
Marseille Municipal Police against his will. Ex-commissioner Gibert, who has
become city mayor and the lowest in the polls, entrusts him with the mission to
stop the formidable "Gang of Italians" who steals jewelry with the
help of the powerful Ferrari. But to do this, Marot will have no choice but to
work with Eddy Maklouf, the grand-nephew of the celebrity Daniel and the worst
driver in Marseille, but the only one to have recovered the legendary white
TAXI.
Set in Normandy in 1819 and adapted from the
classic French novel Une Vie by Guy
de Maupassant, the film recounts the trials and tribulations in the life of a
young woman from the day she returns home from a convent and whose heart is
awakened by a local viscount.
Voyage à travers le cinéma français/A Journey Through French Cinema
(2016)
Director: Bertrand Tavernier
This work as a citizen and a spy, as an
explorer and a painter, as a columnist and an adventurer that has been
described so well by many authors, from Casanova to Gilles Perrault, is a
beautiful definition of a filmmaker that we want to apply to Renoir, Becker, to
the Vigo of L'Atlante, to Duvivier, as well as to Truffaut and Demy, to Max
Ophuls and also to Bresson. And to these lesser known filmmakers, Grangier,
Gréville, or Sacha, whom through a scene or a film, illuminate an emotion,
reveal surprising truths. I would like this film to be an act of gratitude to
all the filmmakers, scriptwriters, actors, and musicians who suddenly appeared
in my life. Memory warms us up: this film is a bit of coal for winter nights.
Yves Saint Laurent (2014)
Director: Jalil Lespert
Starring: Pierre Niney, Guillaume
Gallienne, Charlotte Le Bon, Laura Smet, Marie de Villepin
Paris, 1957. Barely 21 years old, Yves Saint
Laurent is handed the reins of the prestigious fashion house founded by
Christian Dior, who has recently died. During his first fashion show, which is
a triumph, he meets Pierre Bergé. This encounter will change his life. Lovers
and business partners, three years later the two men become partners and form
the Yves Saint Laurent label. Despite his obsessions and his inner demons, Yves
Saint Laurent gets ready to revolutionize the world of fashion with his modern
and iconoclastic approach.
Jean-Pierre Melville Centennial Retrospective
24 heures dans la vie d’un clown/24 hours in the Life of a Clown (1946)
A day in the life of Beby the clown and his
partner, Maïs, who find their inspiration and gags in the streets, which they
then perform at night in the circus.
Le Silence de la mer (1948)
In a small town in occupied France in 1941, the
German officer, Werner Von Ebrennac is billeted in the house of the uncle and
his niece. The uncle and niece refuse to speak to him, but each evening the
officer warms himself by the fire and talks of his country, his music, and his
idealistic views of the relationship between France and Germany. That is, until
he visits Paris and discovers what is really going on...
Bob Le Flambeur (1956)
In Paris's Montmartre district, everyone knows
Bob, a well-dressed compulsive gambler. He's generous, moralistic, drives a
two-toned convertible coupe, lives in a swank apartment, and has the respect of
the police. But he's on a losing streak, and even when he hits it big at the
track, he loses at the Deauville casino. When he learns that the casino keeps a
fortune on Grand Prix weekend, he plots a robbery. Subplots trace a seemingly
innocent coquette's social climb and the greed of a croupier's wife who betrays
the thieves.
Léon Morin Prêtre/Léon Morin, Priest (1961)
In a small French town during the Occupation,
Barny (Riva) is a young, wayward, sexually frustrated widow, living with her
little girl. She is also a communist militant who long ago decided that the
easiest way was the best. One day she enters a church, randomly chooses a
priest (Belmondo) to confess to and, while in confessional, attempts to provoke
him by criticizing Catholicism. Instead of being affronted, the priest engages
her in an intellectual discussion regarding religion. The priest is Leon Morin,
young, handsome, smart and altruistic. He invites Barny to continue the
conversation outside of confessional. She begins regularly seeing him and is
impressed by his moral strength, while he makes it his mission to steer her
onto the right path.
Le Doulos/Doulos: The Finger Man (1961)
The narrative unfolds through two characters,
Maurice and Silien, and consistently switches back and forth between them,
leading the audience to grasp randomly for a distinct main character or hero
(despite the fact that both are criminal anti-heroes). Through Maurice and
Silien’s actions, the film explores just how deeply qualities such as
friendship and loyalty run.
Le Doulos begins by introducing us to
Maurice, an ex-con, just released from prison after serving a six-year
sentence. He then murders his friend, Gilbert, and steals the jewels he had
been hiding, products of a recent heist. Shortly afterwards, Maurice plans a
heist of a rich man’s estate and shares his plan with Silien, who is rumored to
be a police informant. Silien is later picked up and questioned by the police.
The film unfolds from there, incorporating a number of plot twists revealed
through Melville’s traditionally styled hard-boiled dialogue and picturesque
visuals.
L’Armée des ombre/Army of Shadow (1969)
France, 1942, during the occupation. Philippe
Gerbier, a civil engineer, is one of the French Resistance's chiefs. Given away
by a traitor, he is interned in a camp. He manages to escape, and joins his
network at Marseilles, where he makes the traitor be executed... This
non-spectacular movie (do not expect any Rambo or Robin Hood) shows us
rigorously and austerely the everyday of the French Resistants: their solitude,
their fears, their relationships, the arrests, the forwarding of orders and
their carrying out...
Le Cercle rouge/The Red Circle (1970)
Corey is a cool, aristocratic thief, released
from prison on the same day that Vogel, a murderer, escapes from the custody of
the patient Mattei, a cat-loving police superintendent. Corey robs Rico, his
mob boss, then enlists Vogel and an ex-police sharpshooter, Jansen, in a jewel
heist. While Corey is harried by the vengeful Rico, Mattei pressures Santi, a
nightclub owner and pimp, to help him trap the thieves. Over all hangs the
judgment of the police directeur, that every man is guilty.
Homage to Philippine Cinema
Anino/Shadows (2000)
Director: Raymond Red
Starring: Eddie Garcia, Ronnie Lazaro, John
Arcilla
A down and out church photographer, hungry and
penniless, wanders from the church, through the shadows of the imposing city
and clashes with its various mysterious characters.
Himpapawid/Manila Skies (2009)
Director: Raymond Red
Starring: Raul Arellano, John Arcilla, Ronnie
Lazaro, Soliman Cruz
Manila Skies is the story of a desperate, simple man from the
countryside trying to make a living in the metropolis of Manila. He keeps stumbling as he moves from one 'station
of the cross' to another. In desperation, he joins an amateur gang plotting a
heist, to get even with a corrupt employer. This ultimately goes wayward and
ends in devastation. Further hounded by guilt that his father is helplessly
ill, he draws his last straw and plots the insane hijacking of a plane to
finally take him to his ultimate destination - home or hell.
Bagahe/The Baggage (2017)
Director: Zig Dulay
Starring: Angeli Bayani
Bagahe tells the story of an OFW, Mercy Agbunag. As the whole
family celebrates her homecoming, NBI agents appear at the doorstep to invite
Mercy to join them for an investigation of a case about a newborn child thrown
into a trash bin of an airplane toilet, and she is believed to be a suspect. As
Mercy undergoes a rigid examination of testimonies and pieces of evidence, she
is turned over to different social entities – police, hospital, shelter, media,
church, and bureaucrats. What unfolds is the whole truth behind a mother who is
abused, and the measures in which she is taken care of by her motherland.
Here is the screening schedule of the 23rd French Film Festival.
