Events
Le Théâtre Français
Friday, May 8, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
7:30pm
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TOURNEES: French and Francophone Film Festival
April 16, 18, 23, & 25
Little Theater (LT 161)
Free Admission –
All films have English subtitles.
“Chacun sa nuit” (2006)
(One to Another)
April 16 – 5:30 pm
“Part sun-glazed remembrance of youth, part discursive murder mystery, the third (and most impressive) feature co-directed by Franco-American actor Jean-Marc Barr and Pascal Arnold offers up an uncommonly sensual and disquieting take on a familiar youth-movie theme: how the cocoon of adolescent sexual awakening can be torn apart by violent desire (...)Although ‘One to Another’ takes its inspiration from a real-life French homicide case, it's clear that Barr and Arnold aspire to the realm of modern mythology: their Pierre is one of those bright, golden youths who seem doomed to unduly brief lives, and in his end we may see our own inevitable fall from the garden.” Scott Foundas, LA Weekly
“L’Homme de Sa Vie” (2006)
(The Man of My Life)
April 16 – 7:30 pm
Frédéric and his wife, Frédérique, spend the summer in their family house. They bring along their children and some friends One evening, Frédéric invites Hugo, their neighbor, for a barbecue at their house. A solitary and self-possessed gay man, Hugo recently moved next door. After dinner, Frédéric and Hugo find themselves alone on the terrace exchanging their radically different views of love until dawn. Frédérique nonetheless notices a distance opening up between her husband and her. She doesn't realize that a powerful bond is developing between these two men .Their relationship will wreck havoc in both men's hearts, as well as in Frédéric's family life. L'Homme de sa vie is a story of life, love and family relationships, it is full of emotions and without any moral judgment.
“Le Fils de l’épicier” (2007)
(The Grocer’s Son)
April 18 – 5 :30 pm
It is summer, and thirty-year-old Antoine (Nicolas Cazalé) is forced to leave the city to return to his family in Provence. His father is sick, so he must assume the lifestyle he thought he had shed—driving the family grocery cart from hamlet to hamlet, delivering supplies to the few remaining inhabitants. Accompanied by Claire, a friend from Paris whom he has a secret crush on, Antoine gradually warms up to his experience in the country and his encounters with the villagers, who initially seem stubborn and gruff, but ultimately prove to be funny and endearing. Ultimately, this surprise French box-office hit is about the coming-of-age of a man re-discovering life and love in the countryside.
La Môme (2007)
(La Vie en Rose)
April 18 – 7 :30 pm
A swirling, impressionistic portrait of an artist who regretted nothing, La vie en Rose stars Marion Cotillard as the legendary French icon Edith Piaf. From the mean streets of the Belleville district of Paris to the dazzling limelight of New York's most famous concert halls, Piaf's life was a constant battle to sing and survive, to live and love. Born into poverty, Piaf was abandoned by her mother. While singing for pennies on street corners, she attracted the attention of Louis Leplée, owner of one of the most posh nightclubs in town. He persuaded her to sing and gave her the nickname “la Môme Piaf” because of her short height and nervousness. Dead at forty-seven. Piaf remains, however, one of France's immortal icons, her voice one of the indelible signatures of the 20th Century.
“L’Intouchable” (2006)
(The Untouchable)
April 23 – 5:30 pm
Benoit Jacquot’s film presents a young actress, Jeanne, who learns from her mother that her father is an “Untouchable.,” a Hindu she met while travelling in India. Jeanne sets out on her own for the vastness of India with little more than a name as a clue. In the hope that she will reach what she is looking for, she immerses herself into the jumble and life of a continent that is totally foreign to her. Eventually, she befriends a young man who acts as a guide, assisting her and introducing her to the mysteries of India. As Jeanne comes nearer to her goal, one wonders what will be at the end of her quest: finding her father or something more elusive, more enriching.
“Ne le dis à personne” (2006)
(Tell No One)
April 23 – 7 :30 pm
Director Guillaume Canet’s award winning film follows Alex (François Cluzel), whose wife Margot had been was savagely murdered eight years ago. He receives an anonymous email: when he clicks on the inserted link, he sees Margot', being filmed live. Alex is in shock: Is she still alive? Why does she say tell no one? The police reopens the murder case, certain that Alex is the perpetrator of his wife's gruesome murder since he was with her when she was killed. He leads his own investigation to prove his innocence. It forces family and friends to remember details they'd rather keep buried. Alex's unrelenting questioning will unravel a sordid story that will incriminate unscrupulous family members and ultimately reunite him with his wife.
“Rêves de poussière” (2006)
(Dreams of Dust)
April 25 – 5:30 pm
“Depicting an African hell on Earth where ant-like men burrow deep into the desert and risk their lives to mine gold, ‘Dreams of Dust’ relies on hypnotic widescreen photography to bind viewers to its grim drama. In its unexpected horror and absurdity (…), when a gold nugget is found, the whole team becomes rich. When a tunnel collapses, everyone dies. The asphyxiating sand makes rescue impossible. Salgues' screenplay is perfectly crafted in the Western tradition, while Crystel Fournier's striking cinematography connects the film to a broad African vision. Mathieu Vanasse and Jean Massicotte's music track matches the rest of the film in being extremely refined. The French and Canadian post-prod work is top quality.” Deborah Young, Variety
“Lili et le baobab” (2006)
Lili and the Baobab
April 25 – 7:30 pm
Lili (Romane Bohringer), a French photographer, accepts an assignment to the remote village of Agnam, in the Senegalese desert. It is the first time she's set foot in Africa. The photos she takes protect her from facing the questions she is asked about her life as a single woman. She hardly notices that Aminata, an unmarried and lonely woman of her age, lays the foundations of an improbable and powerful friendship. When Lili returns to Normandy, she has a hard time resuming her past life. She often visits Moussa, an immigrant worker from Agnam. Moussa tells Lili that Aminata has given birth to a son. Because the child is fatherless, they will probably be chased away from the village. Lili manages to alter local customs and help her friend find her own path in the process.
The festival was made possible with the support of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy and the French Ministry of Culture (CNC). Co-sponsored by European Studies/SDSU and Francophilia (www.francophilia.com)