 We at Rialto Tauranga are again delighted to be presenting the Alliance Française French Film Festival for 2017. You'll find below information on all the films screening in the festival, and in most cases the trailer for the film.
All sessions have allocated seating, so the sooner you buy your tickets the better.
The Opening Night screening of The Odyssey - the amazing true story of Jacques Cousteau - comes with wonderful French wine and nibbles from Café Versailles. Tickets are selling fast, so be sure to book as soon as you can. Get your tickets here.
We look forward to bringing the best of French cinema to Tauranga once again. Do enjoy!
Regards, Clayton.
(PG) – Biopic, Adventure – 2hr 03mins – FRA - French with English subtitles
1948. Jacques-Yves Cousteau, his wife, and his two sons live in paradise in a beautiful house looking out over the Mediterranean Sea. But Cousteau dreams of adventure. Thanks to his invention, an autonomous diving suit that allows him to breathe underwater, he has discovered a new world. He will explore this world, and is prepared to sacrifice everything to do so.
Lambert Wilson embodies with force and mastery this passionate explorer, who transforms into a demanding businessman, and – in his later life – into the famous environmental activist. On board his ship, The Calypso, Cousteau travelled the seas. As the ‘man with the red cap’, he was known for his underwater explorations, bringing the magic of that world to an international TV audience in his popular documentaries.
This film invites us to marvel at the magic that lies underwater – one lyrical sequence shows a majestic whale drifting peacefully in the blue sea. Combining elements of biopic and romantic fresco full of family drama, The Odyssey takes us on an adventurous journey.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Thursday 16 Mar 6:00pm, 6:00pm - extra cinema added!
Sunday 26 Mar 4:35pm
(TBC) – Thriller – 2hr 07mins – FRA - French with English subtitles
In the Brest hospital where she works, a lung specialist discovers a direct link between some patients’ suspicious deaths and Mediator, a medicine that has been prescribed for 30 years. Determined to bring the truth to light, she challenges the power of the medical court and pharmaceutical companies. From the isolation at the beginning of her discovery to the explosion of media coverage of the scandal, this true story, inspired by the real life of Ire?ne Frachon is a David and Goliath battle to see truth triumph at last.
Sidse Babett Knudsen (Courted – Festival 2016) plays a strong woman with a dry sense of humour winning over her adversaries and the audience alike. Benoi?t Magimel (also in Standing Tall) gives a nuanced performance as the hospital’s head of research who is taken in by Ire?ne’s charming perseverance.
The Festival is screening Emmanuelle Bercot’s most recent films, 150 Milligrams and Standing Tall, inviting the audience to discover her multifaceted oeuvre. In both films, Bercot deploys a nervy, quick-footed style to show how people navigate complex institutional frameworks, and hold on to their humanity, even under adverse conditions. A truly compelling film.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Friday 24 Mar 8:00pm - extra screen added, first is sold out!
(R16) – Drama – 1hr 47mins – FRA - French with English subtitles
Eddie spends more time drinking and moping about than he does looking for a proper job. After another drunken night on the town, he winds up hospitalised when a band of thugs stab him. Eddie wrongly identifies local Arab boy Ahmed as the principal culprit. While the legal machine gets underway with Ahmed, Eddie attempts to win back his wife and son through a new job. He soon becomes aware of the seriousness of his accusation but will do anything to stand by his proclamation.
In this gripping drama, Finkiel draws a dark portrait of contemporary society: Eddie cannot cope with the pressures of modern life, fighting against the world he lives in that prevents him from being a decent man. The gripping score and intensely driven performances highlight the spiral downfall of Eddie. An act of violence at the film’s end adds a major extratextual blow, reminiscent of the sad realities of violent acts of self justice in the US and Europe in recent years.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Wednesday 22 Mar 8:20pm
(E) – Documentary – 3hr 11mins – FRA - French with English subtitles
This magnificently epic documentary from Bertrand Tavernier has been a lifetime in the making. Tavernier explores in a highly personal documentary the French films from the 30s through to the 70s that inspired him to start out as a director, showcasing long-lost films that he discovered during the production process. Tavernier knows his native cinema inside and out, from giants like Renoir, Godard, and Melville (for whom he worked as an assistant) to now overlooked figures like Edmond T. Gre?ville and Guy Gilles. He rediscovers and reassesses filmmakers, films, and composers, taking us on a voyage through time and stories.
Bertrand Tavernier is one of France’s most acclaimed directors. His film knowledge is voluminous, his love is inexhaustible, and his perspective is matched only by that of Martin Scorsese. Tavernier’s love affair with French cinema first began when he suffered from tuberculosis in post-World War Two in Lyon. He says that cinema gave him his inner strength to recover. “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.”
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Sunday 26 Mar 7:00pm
(PG) – Animation – 1hr 18mins – FRA - French with English subtitles
Twelve-year-old Adama lives in a remote village in Western Africa. Beyond the cliffs, the World of Breaths can be found, where the Nassaras reign. One night, Samba, his older brother, disappears. Defying the laws of the elders, Adama decides to set out to find him. With the unwavering determination of a child becoming a man, Adama launches into a quest that will take him beyond the seas, to the North, to the front lines of World War One. Ultimately, Adama’s love for his brother will open an unexpected way to his initiatory journey.
Adama reveals a new perspective on the Great War. Taking the point of view of a boy from a different cultural background, it offers a different view on history, an outsider’s perspective on one of the terrible tragedies of the 20th century. By doing so, the film puts forward essential human truths that counterbalance the horrors of the war scenes: family ties, brotherhood, an honest child’s view on the world with its unshakeable optimistic belief in the good. Graphically the film mixes drawing, painting, modelling and 3D techniques which add to the realism of the film.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Sunday 19 Mar 11:30am
(M) – Comedy, Drama – 1hr 36mins – FRA, BEL - French with English subtitles
Ana, 26 years old, finishes a job she hates as runner on a big film shoot in Belgium. Instead of returning to London, she makes an impulsive decision to keep the production’s rental car and heads to Strasbourg, the town she grew up in. Once there, she gives herself a mission; to replace her grandmother’s bath with a floor level shower, better adapted to someone her age. Over the course of a summer, during which a broken love affair briefly blossoms again and Ana’s grandmother is hospitalised with a broken hip, Ana does her best to cope with life.
In the spirit of the New Wave, director Rachel Lang’s sparklingly humorous debut explores complex ideas of love lost, and the pursuit of personal transformation. Salome? Richard shines as the free spirited protagonist of this quirky comedy drama, bringing both sensitivity and hilarity to Ana’s journey. The true victory of Baden Baden is the way in which the different relationships and types of love are treated, from the heartwarming relationship between Ana and her grandmother, to the explosive romances Ana navigates over the summer. An energetic soundtrack further heightens the freshness of this eccentric and enjoyable film.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Saturday 18 Mar 1:45pm
(R16) – Thriller, Film Noir – 1hr 51mins – FRA, BEL - French, German with English subtitles, English
Arthur Harari’s film opens with the death of Pier Ulmann’s father, poverty stricken and ousted by his family after a fatal accident. Pier’s desire to avenge his father leads him to infiltrate the ranks of his affluent diamond-dealing extended family. Considering the family culpable for his father’s loss, Pier plans a heist under the guise of carrying out construction work on the diamond firm.
A modern interpretation of the classic film noir genre, Dark Diamond stages all the ingredients: a criminal the audience feels for, a fast, forward-moving, gripping story, and a heist. In the vein of French masters of the genre such as Jean- Pierre Melville (Le Doulos), Arthur Harari’s polished film noir is set in the diamond district of Antwerp, Belgium. Originally conceptualised as a modern reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, playing on the traditional formula of a vengeful son taking apart his family for the sake of his tragically deceased father, Dark Diamond is characterised by intense scenes and confronting cinematography. The audience can’t help but be on the edge of their seat as Pier’s quest for revenge quickly becomes compromised by unforeseen complications.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Saturday 25 Mar 8:35pm
(TBC) – Drama, Period Film – 1hr 55mins – FRA, BEL - French with English subtitles
At the end of the 19th century, Valentine (Audrey Tautou, also in The Odyssey), marries Jules (Arieh Worthalter). About 100 years later, her great-great-granddaughter runs across a bridge in Paris and into the arms of the man she loves. In the intervening century, men and women meet, fall in love, and embrace, thus fulfilling romantic destinies, and sowing the seeds of a family tree, an eternity.
Over four generations of women, from mothers to daughters, Tran Anh Hung (The Scent of Green Papaya) captures moments of existence, which form the chain of life. It is the director’s first French-language film, based on the novel L’e?le?gance des veuves by Alice Ferney.
With a star-studded cast, the film has a gentle beauty about it that will touch your soul.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Sunday 19 Mar 1:15pm
Tuesday 21 Mar 10:45am
(TBC) – Adventure, Children’s Film – 1hr 35mins – FRA, BEL - French with English subtitles
Fanny, only 12 years old is tough. But, most of all, she is a courageous young girl who, hidden in a home far from her parents, must take care of her two younger sisters. Forced to flee in a rush, Fanny becomes the head of a group of eight children and sets out on a dangerous mission across occupied France towards the Swiss border.
Between fear, outbursts of laughter, and unexpected encounters, the small group learns about independence and discovers friendship and solidarity.
Told from the perspective of children, Fanny’s Journey breaches the difficult subject of the persecution of Jews during World War Two in occupied France. Inspired by a true story, the film reflects the cruel reality of that time, but tells an exceptional tale of bravery, strength and survival. The non-professional child actors convincingly convey the power of childhood beliefs and their joy of life, which makes this film a compelling story of friendship.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Saturday 18 Mar 11:45am
(M) – Drama – 2hr 01mins – FRA - French with English subtitles
Gabrielle lives in a small village in the south of France, at a time when her dream of true love is considered scandalous, and even insane. Against her will, Gabrielle’s parents marry her to Jose?, an honest and loving Spanish worker who they think will make a respectable woman of her. When she is sent away to the Alps to treat her kidney stones, Andre?, an injured veteran of the Indochina war, rekindles the passion buried inside of her.
The film is based on Milena Agus’ novel of the same name. Cotillard (also in It’s Only the End of the World) gives a luminous performance as Gabrielle. She gives a voice to the torments of a repressed love life aptly caught in the metaphor of the film’s original title The Stone Sickness. Louis Garrel (also in Two Friends and Planetarium) excels his charms as dashing war veteran Andre?.
Director Nicole Garcia (Charlie Says) delivers a subtle but powerful romantic character study of a woman’s liberation.
The Festival has the pleasure of presenting From the Land of the Moon as an exclusive preview before the national New Zealand release.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Saturday 25 Mar 6:15pm, 6:15pm - extra cinema added!
(R13) – Drama – 1hr 28mins – FRA - French with English subtitles
While crossing the Sahara desert to get to Europe, Le?onard, a young man from Cameroon, rescues Hope, a Nigerian woman. In a fiercely hostile world where safety requires staying with one’s own people, their language, religion, and culture oppose them. Nevertheless, they try to find their way together, and to love each other.
Boris Lojkine, a globe-trotting French philosopher-turned- filmmaker, directs this stunning film with passion and rigour. He brings a documentary approach to this fictional story and thus highlights the truth and reality of it. Hope immerses the viewer in the migrant experience and their search for a new beginning and offers a new perspective on the contemporary socio- political issue of the refugee crisis.
A story as hard and as tragic as its heroes are moving.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Tuesday 21 Mar 8:15pm
(TBC) – Comedy, Drama – 1hr 37mins – FRA - French with English subtitles
Victoria Spick (Virginie Efira), criminal lawyer, workaholic, depressed, and self-centred with an empty love life, meets her friend, Vincent (Melvil Poupaud) and Sam (Vincent Lacoste, also in Saint Amour), an ex-dealer who she has helped out in court, at a wedding. The next morning Vincent is accused of having attempted to murder his girlfriend. The only witness: the victim’s dog. Victoria reluctantly accepts to defend Vincent while hiring Sam as an au pair for her daughters. This sets off a series of turbulences and cataclysms that will make Victoria readjust her life.
In Bed with Victoria takes the classic romantic comedy formula adding quirky, hilarious twists to make it an enjoyable comedic romp. Virginie Efira (also in Up for Love) gives a gutsy and capable performance as the titular character, being sensitive to her character’s predicaments while also being deft in her comedic expression. Justin Triet’s second feature had the honour to open the 2016 Critics’ Week at Cannes. Variety praised the film as “it offers both the candour and the schmaltz of Trainwreck.” The film never stops surprising as Victoria navigates her way through crazy antics at work and ridiculous romantic endeavours.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Friday 17 Mar 8:15pm
Thursday 23 Mar 10:45am
(M) – Drama – 1hr 13mins – FRA - French with English subtitles
Pierre, a documentary filmmaker, works in partnership with his wife, Manon. They make films without a cent, but at least have each other. Pierre encounters Elisabeth, a beautiful intern at the film archive where he’s doing research on his latest documentary, a portrait of an elderly French resistance fighter. They begin a blissful affair. But gradually that initial euphoria yields for Pierre to a sense of being trapped in not just one relationship but two. When he learns that his wife is also having an affair, Pierre turns his attention back to her.
Philippe Garrel started his career in the late 1960s at the end of the New Wave, but shares with it the themes of analysis of personal and professional intimacies in the lives of bohemian characters that resemble himself. As in many of his other films, In the Shadow of Women mixes life, politics, and art, and analyses the relationship between the sexes.
The third-person narration (told by son Louis Garrel) adds a level of distance and humorous self-analysis to the self- absorption of the male ego. The film also offers nuanced and accurate portraits of independent women.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Sunday 26 Mar 1:00pm
(M) – Drama – 1hr 39mins – FRA, CAN - French with English subtitles
After a 12-year absence, Louis (Gaspard Ulliel), a writer suffering from a fatal illness, returns to his family to inform them of his inevitable demise. As resentment soon rewrites the course of the afternoon, fits and feuds unfold, fuelled by loneliness and doubt, while all attempts at empathy are sabotaged by people’s incapacity to listen and love.
Derived from the play of the same name by Jean-Luc Lagarce, this vivid and confrontational drama muses on traditional notions of family and belonging. A star-filled cast capably conveys familial divisions, personal conflict and past grievances.
Canadian wunderkind director Xavier Dolan effectively uses tight camera angles and extreme close-ups, evoking a sense of constraint and claustrophobia by pulling the audience viscerally into Louis’ sensations of feeling smothered by his family.
This sensitive and thought-provoking piece leaves the viewer reconsidering the institution of family – is it always a source of joy, or can the most toxic people in our lives be our own flesh and blood?
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Saturday 18 Mar 6:00pm
Friday 24 Mar 4:00pm
(M) – Musical and Social Comedy – 1hr 23mins – FRA - French with English subtitles
Julie (Pauline Etienne, Tokyo Fiance?e – Festival 2015) has long lived between two precarious jobs. Everything changes when she thinks she’s got a permanent job in a luxury shoe factory. But a threatened relocation disrupts her dreams for stability. Should she protest alongside her work colleagues or keep a low profile? Julie doesn’t know which leg to stand on. When Samy (Olivier Chantreau also in Baden Baden), a truck driver as crafty as he is charming, lends his support, things change once again.
Auteur duo Calori and Testut call this film a ‘musical and social comedy’ and touch on serious societal issues whilst also entertaining with charming musical numbers. Put your feelings into music, sing your sorrows away, and stage your protest as a dance number!
Featuring songs composed by various popular French songwriters – Jeanne Cherhal, Albin de la Simone, Olivier Davaud, and Agne?s Bihl. Full of charm and truth, this dazzling film follows in the line of director Jacques Demy, known for his come?dies musicales such as The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Sunday 19 Mar 5:30pm
(TBC) – Romantic Comedy – 1hr 39mins – FRA, BEL - English and French with English subtitles
When 45-year-old widowed munitions expert Erwan (Franc?ois Damiens) discovers by accident that the man who raised him isn’t his real dad, he begins a search for his biological father. He soon locates the mischievous 70-something Joseph (Le Havre’s Andre? Wilms), whom his mother knew briefly. Erwan falls not only for his charm, but that of the impetuous Anna (Ce?cile de France, also in Fanny’s Journey), who has ties to them both. Conflicting familial loyalties soon become further compounded by the pregnancy of his own daughter Juliette, who defiantly refuses to name the father…
The Festival has been honoured to present the International Premieres of some superb French jewels in past events, such as The Be?lier Family and Rosalie Blum, and 2017 is no exception, marking the world debut of writer-director Carine Tardieu’s wonderfully funny Just to be Sure.
The two big names of Belgian cinema, Franc?ois Damiens (The Be?lier Family – Festival 2015) and Ce?cile de France (La Belle Saison – Festival 2016) star for the first time in a French film together. Offering a terrific showcase for her brilliant ensemble, Tardieu (The Dandelions – Festival 2013) sets this entertaining and moving film against the backdrop of the wild Brittany coast in Northern France.
See More Info
Saturday 18 Mar 4:00pm
Wednesday 22 Mar 10:45am
(M) – Film Noir – 1hr 49mins – FRA - French with English subtitles
The backstabbing criminals in the shadowy underworld of Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Doulos have only one guiding principle: “Lie or die.” A stone-faced Jean-Paul Belmondo stars as enigmatic gangster Silien, who may or may not be responsible for squealing on Maurice (Serge Reggiani), an ex-con just released from prison and already involved in what should have been a simple heist. By the end of this brutal, twisting, and multilayered policier, who will be left to trust?
Jean-Pierre Melville pays homage to the American gangster films of the 1930s in the film’s cinematic style and complex plot. Shot and edited with Melville’s trademark cool and featuring masterfully stylised dialogue and performances, Le Doulos (slang for “informant”) is one of the filmmaker’s most gripping film policier, a very French subgenre of the thriller.
2017 marks the 100th anniversary of Jean-Pierre Melville’s birth (1917-1973).
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Monday 20 Mar 10:45am
(M) – Comedy – 1hr 38mins – FRA, BEL - French with English subtitles
Max and Le?on are childhood friends. Lazy and with a love to party, they try to avoid World War Two conscription by all means. In a film rife with slapstick physical comedy, Max and Le?on become embroiled in an escalating line of ridiculous schemes. Follow along as they travel the world in reluctant and blundering support of the war effort, with the simple desire to do one thing: return safely to their home.
Max & Leon marks director Jonathan Barre?’s first feature-length work and fully displays his sense of humour. Gre?goire Ludig and David Marsais are delightful as the titular lifelong friends, employing sidesplitting physical theatre in the context of a believable and moving friendship. They make up the celebrated comedic duo Palmashow and co-wrote the screenplay of Max & Leon with Barre?.
Max & Leon follows closely in the footsteps of eternal French comedy classic Don’t Look Now… We’re Being Shot At (La Grande Vadrouille, 1966) that for over 40 years (until the release of Welcome to the Sticks in 2008) was the most successful French film in France. Described as version 2.0. of that classic, Max & Leon is sure to have audiences laughing with delight!
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Sunday 19 Mar 3:30pm
(M) – Drama – 1hr 36mins – FRA, CHE - French with English subtitles
Equipped with a few items of clothing, a little bit of money, and a weapon, Diane Kramer (Emmanuelle Devos) leaves for Evian. She has a sole obsession: to find the driver of the mocha-coloured Mercedes who ran over her son and turned her life upside down. But the path of truth has more bends than it appears. Diane discovers that she must confront another woman (Nathalie Baye, also in It’s Only the End of the World) both endearing and mysterious.
Swiss filmmaker Fre?de?ric Mermoud sets this psychological drama around the picturesque but treacherous Lake Geneva, an area between two countries and two cities. The Lake becomes an arena like in a western, calm in appearance but with unpredictable swirls that bring out anxiety.
Cinema veterans Baye and Devos star opposite each other for the first time: an impressive vis-a?-vis full of suspense reminiscent of the films of Chabrol and Hitchcock.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Friday 24 Mar 6:00pm
(M) – Biopic, Drama – 1hr 59mins – FRA - French with English subtitles
From circus to theatre, from anonymity to fame, this film follows the incredible destiny of Chocolat the clown, the first black stage performer in France. This is the singular story of an exceptional artist. The unprecedented duo he forms with Footit is very popular in Belle E?poque Paris, until easy money, gambling, and discrimination take their toll on their friendship and Chocolat’s career.
Actor-Director Roschdy Zem is known for being involved in films with historical and societal themes (such as Indige?nes – Days of Glory). In Monsieur Chocolat – based on a true story – he deftly mixes incredible feats and uplifting moments with thought-provoking themes of racism and the corrupting power of fame.
Omar Sy (Samba – Festival 2015, The Intouchables) and James Thie?rre?e (grandson of Charlie Chaplin) astonish with powerful and heartbreaking interpretations and jaw-dropping performances – nothing short of magical.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Saturday 18 Mar 8:00pm
Wednesday 22 Mar 6:00pm
(PG) – Animation – 1hr 12mins – FRA, LUX - French with English subtitles
In a small provincial town in France in the 1970s, Jean has just started school. When the teacher asks each child to talk about their parents’ work, Jean, realising that he is not like the other kids, invents an answer: “My mom, she’s a secretary.” In fact, his mom is always away on trips and she sends postcards to Miche?le, the little next-door neighbour who reads them to Jean, which sets him dreaming. But reality is something else entirely, which is what Jean slowly begins to understand in the months leading up to Christmas…
My Mommy is in America is based on the award winning graphic novel by artists Jean Regnaud and Emile Bravo. The film subtly tells in naturalistically rendered graphics of mourning and growing up. But poetry and humour prevail in this very accessible animation that shows the power of imagination that helps one to come to terms with the harsher aspects of reality.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Saturday 25 Mar 10:30am
(TBC) – Comedy, Farce – 1hr 29mins – FRA - French with English subtitles
Dany Boon stars in this raucous comedy as Franc?ois Gautier, a talented musician with a fatal flaw – he is a penny pincher! Every aspect of his life is calculated to the last detail to be as inexpensive as possible. Everything changes when an attractive new musician in his orchestra enters the scene. Franc?ois is further challenged when a daughter he never knew he had comes unexpectedly into his life. Forced to lie to cover up his faults, this is just the start of Franc?ois’ problems, and his wallet begins to suffer the consequences of his deceit…
Dany Boon, famous for his role in Welcome to the Sticks, France’s biggest box office smash to date, wows audiences once again under Fred Cavaye?’s direction, with his hilarious interpretation of the uptight and neurotic Franc?ois. Noe?mie Schmidt (The Student and Mr Henri – Festival 2016) plays the naive and trustful daughter with refreshing charm. With riotous humour, and vibrant and hilarious characterisation, Penny Pincher! is highly enjoyable family entertainment.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Friday 17 Mar 6:15pm
(TBC) – Drama, Period Film – 1hr 45mins – FRA, BEL - French with English subtitles, English
Kate and Laura Barlow (Natalie Portman and Lily-Rose Depp), two sisters who have the ability to contact ghosts, have just completed a world tour. At the close of the 1930s, they enter Paris to perform as psychic mediums. There, in the city of light, they catch the eye of film producer Korben (Emmanuel Salinger) who becomes obsessed with the idea of filming the supernatural. The sisters become embroiled in the world of cinema, blissfully unaware of the worldwide turmoil of the years to come.
Rebecca Zlotowski (Grand Central) has a reputation for films of emotional depth and striking visuals. Taking us back to the height of studio cinema, Planetarium showcases opulent costumes and stunning cinematography. The use of the “supercamera” Alexa 65 is a first in French films, and its impact is obvious in the rich and compelling nature of the visuals. Natalie Portman and Lily-Rose Depp, both fluent in French, sparkle in the roles of two sisters with a love for dramatics. The film is loosely based on historical fact, alluding to the fate of Bernard Natan, a film innovator and one time owner of Pathe? and the Fox sisters, mediums who were influential in the growth of spiritualism.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Monday 20 Mar 8:15pm
Saturday 25 Mar 4:00pm
(M) – Comedy, Road Movie – 1hr 41mins – FRA, BEL - French with English subtitles
Every year, Bruno does the wine trail… without setting foot outside the Paris Agricultural Show! But this year, his father Jean, who has come to present his champion bull in the hope of winning the competition, suddenly decides to take Bruno on a real wine trail, in a bid to become closer to his son. They raise their glasses in Saint-Amour accompanied by Mike, a young taxi driver unexpectedly taken along for the ride. First-rate wine, romantic entanglements, picturesque surroundings, and the warmth of family combine to make this the road trip of a lifetime.
The partnership of Benoi?t Dele?pine and Gustave Kervern creates a comedy gem in Saint Amour, with an all-star cast adding to the magic. Ge?rard De?pardieu delivers a characteristically well-rounded and fine-tuned performance as Jean, while Benoi?t Poelvoorde (The Brand New Testament – Festival 2016) mines comedic gold as his awkward son, who nevertheless has a huge capacity for love. Vincent Lacoste (also in In Bed with Victoria) is a treat as their unwitting chauffeur, Mike. A ‘Tour de France’ of a different type, this film expands a simple wine tour into an emotional journey, as our characters learn about love, and the importance of family.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Sunday 26 Mar 2:35pm, 2:35pm - extra screen added!
(R13) – Comedy, Period Film – 2hr 02mins – FRA, DEU - French with English subtitles, English
Summer 1910, Slack Bay in the North of France. Mysterious disappearances have thrown the region into turmoil. The improbable Inspector Machin and his shrewd assistant Malfoy carry out an investigation. Through no fault of their own, they find themselves at the centre of a strange and all-consuming love story between Ma Loute, the eldest son of a local family of fishermen with rather particular habits, and Billie Van Peteghem, the youngest daughter of a wealthy, decadent bourgeois family from Lille. The romance brings the two families together in an explosive collision and things are not as they appear…
Slack Bay marks an interesting departure in the career of Bruno Dumont (L’Humanite?, The Life of Jesus), who has been responsible for some of the most sombre and intense feature films of Europe. Launching into the comedy arena, the A-list cast give star performances in this film that mixes genres, including comedy, slapstick, and mystery. The crazy antics are offset by a purely idyllic setting, with the rich visuals of the picturesque French coast being a delight. The wild physical humour is further contrasted with a strikingly beautiful score, adding to the quirky flavour of the film as a whole.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Sunday 19 Mar 7:15pm
(R16) – Drama – 1hr 59mins – FRA - French with English subtitles
Abandoned by his mother at the age of 6, Malony is constantly in and out of juvenile court. An adoptive family grows around this young delinquent: Florence, a children’s magistrate nearing retirement, and Yann, a caseworker and himself the survivor of a very difficult childhood. Together they follow the boy’s journey and try unfailingly to save him. When Malony is sent to a stricter educational center, he meets Tess, who will show him that there are reasons for hope.
The multi-talented Emmanuelle Bercot excels as both a director and as an actress (Best Actress at Cannes 2015 for Mon Roi – Festival 2016). Drawing on her uncle’s experience with children and the court system, Bercot explores Malony’s story as a vehicle for comments on the French justice system as a whole. Rod Paradot’s electric lead performance adds a gritty reality to his role as Malony. Benoi?t Magimel (also in 150 Milligrams) brings an emotional depth to his role of substitute father. Screen legend Catherine Deneuve stands out in her very nuanced performance of a judge who trusts in the qualities of every human being.
This journey of a young delinquent reminds us of Franc?ois Truffaut’s classic 400 Blows (1959), but set in a harsher and more grim modern-day society.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Thursday 23 Mar 8:15pm
(PG) – Musical, Drama – 1hr 31mins – FRA, DEU - French with English subtitles
Cherbourg, November 1957. Madame Emery and her daughter, Genevie?ve, run a store called The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Genevie?ve is in love with Guy, a mechanic working in a garage. Their brief romance is interrupted when Guy is drafted to serve in the Algerian War. Pregnant and desperate because she has little news of Guy, Genevie?ve is forced by her mother to marry Roland, an older businessman, and leaves Cherbourg.
Jacques Demy and composer Michel Legrand made a unique and crazy experiment: a melodrama entirely sung much in the style of an opera of the everyday. The bright and vivid colour photography also contributed to the popularity of the film as Catherine Deneuve’s Genevie?ve sung herself into audience’s hearts. Either crazily admired or mocked, the film was an international success upon its release and has since become a major reference in world cinema.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Sunday 26 Mar 11:00am
(M) – Drama – 1hr 46mins – BEL, FRA - French with English subtitles
Jenny, a young general practitioner, feels guilty for not having opened the door of her practice to a girl who is found dead shortly after. On learning from the police that they have no way of identifying her, Jenny has only one goal: to discover the name of the young girl so that she will not be buried anonymously, and that she will not disappear as if she had never lived.
Cannes Film Festival regulars the Dardenne brothers are famed for social realist films such as Two Days, One Night and Rosetta. With The Unknown Girl they stay in the vein of their cine?ma engage?. The film is an intelligent, emotional journey, reflecting the brothers’ strong tradition of superb writing and impressive directing. Ade?le Haenel (also in Ogres) is a stand-out, seamlessly portraying Jenny’s transition from seemingly cold and detached professional, to a guilt-ridden and determined pursuer of justice.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Monday 20 Mar 6:00pm
(E) – Documentary – 2hr 26mins – FRA, CHE - French with English subtitles
There are days when we can no longer live in the city, when we can no longer stand seeing nothing but buildings, and hear nothing but the sounds of cars… Then we remember nature, and think of the woods. The bustle of the city disappears as we are transported into a place of serenity. The Bois de Vincennes is a true illusion, a wild world at hand, a reachable form of a lost Eden within everyone’s grasp. People from all walks of life have the right to be here: rich or poor, French or foreign, gay or straight, old or young, old fashioned or trendy.
Throughout the seasons, the series of exchanges speak of this utopia that everyone imagines for him or herself.
Clare Simon leads us into a somewhat idyllic world where every human being has the right to express his or her true nature. No matter who you are or where you come from, the woods transforms into a refuge for those who want to escape from a world that has become too frantic. The director shows us a fundamental reality that enriches our day-to-day lives, but we all too often ignore. Claire Simon’s voice, imbued with a rare lightness and grace, transforms the forest of Vincennes into a dreamlike setting with a wistful air. A documentary that is profound and at the same time carries with it a liberating lightness.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Friday 24 Mar 10:45am
(M) – Drama – 1hr 42mins – FRA, DEU - French with English subtitles
Nathalie teaches philosophy at a college in Paris. Married with two grown-up children, her spare time is devoted to the books she publishes as a sideline, to former students who have become friends, and to her overly possessive mother. Out of nowhere her husband tells her that he is leaving her to live with another woman. Confronted by unexpected and daunting freedom, Nathalie must reinvent her life and reassess her future.
Mia Hansen-Løve’s film is a poignant tale of loss, reinvention, and search for identity, beautifully filmed and compellingly performed. Isabelle Huppert is mesmerising as Nathalie, bringing both a delightful dry humour and stunning emotional depth to the role, which at its inception drew on Mia Hansen-Løve’s mother as inspiration. The uniquely crafted soundtrack reflects the changes Nathalie experiences as she adjusts to her new independence. Things to Come leaves the viewer considering the true nature of “mature life”, and whether fulfilment ultimately rests on external things, or can be found within us. Can opportunity and rebirth come after destruction? The answer Nathalie’s journey gives, is a resounding yes.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Friday 17 Mar 10:45am
(M) – Drama – 1hr 42mins – FRA - French with English subtitles
Cle?ment, a cynical and joyfully melancholy film extra, is madly in love with Mona, who works at a sandwich stand in the Gare du Nord in Paris. But Mona has a secret, which makes her vague and evanescent. When Cle?ment despairs of ever winning her over, his only and best friend, Abel, comes to his rescue. Together, they set out on an adventure of romantic conquest. But the number three is one too many for two.
Louis Garrel co-wrote his feature directing debut with auteur Christophe Honore?, setting it between burlesque and lyricism, comedy and drama, the film is cleverly and sensitively directed. Filmed on 35mm which highlights an intense colour palette, the film features provocative performances from its young cast. A man of many talents, Garrel (also in From the Land of the Moon and Planetarium) is known for tackling challenging roles as an actor, and now branches with ease into directing. Garrel is the son of renowned director Philippe Garrel, whose In the Shadow of Women is also featured in this year’s Festival, giving us the delight of enjoying the distinct yet mesmerising styles of two generations of Garrels.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Thursday 23 Mar 6:00pm
(M) – Romantic Comedy – 1hr 38mins – FRA - French with English subtitles
Diane is a brilliant lawyer with a sense of humour and a forceful personality. Having just put an end to her unhappy marriage, she is at last free to find the man of her dreams. When she receives a phone call from Alexandre, who has found the mobile phone that she’d lost, Diane is intrigued. If only there wasn’t this slight size challenge…
Jean Dujardin (The Artist), charms as Alexandre, displaying wonderful chemistry with the lovely and talented Virginie Efira (also in In Bed with Victoria). After Nicholas on Holidays (Festival 2015), director Laurent Tirard displays once again his talent for comedy and affectionately presents this heartwarming romance, encouraging the viewer to remember to see beyond appearance, and look to the heart. With fast- paced funny dialogue and unexpected narrative twists, Tirard manages a fresh and highly enjoyable take on the classic genre of romantic comedy.
See More Info - Watch the Trailer Here
Tuesday 21 Mar 6:15pm
Saturday 25 Mar 2:00pm
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