32nd ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL
Returning to Palace Cinemas for its fabulous 32nd incarnation, the Alliance Française French Film Festival, will beguile and engage audiences nationally from 2-31sth of March at 25 locations, all of which will be adhering to stringent Covid protocols to guarantee Festival patrons a safe cinema experience.
Awash with high-octane drama, seductive romance, nail-biting suspense, historical tales that will enthral and comedies guaranteed to elevate your spirits, the 2021 Alliance Française French Film Festival will showcase multiple Première screenings and special events to be revealed today when the Festival’s website goes live at: https://www.affrenchfilmfestival.org
Presented by the Alliance Française in association with the Embassy of France in Australia and the wonderful support of their Presenting Sponsor, Peugeot Australia, this year’s choice line-up of 37 features has something to delight the most discerning cinephile.
The festival is delighted to announce that the effervescent Catriona Rowntree, one of the country’s most popular television presenters, will be their 2021 Festival Patron.
Courtesy of StudioCanal Australia, the Festival will launch with the World Premiere of Eiffel, a sumptuous, romantic, costume drama which explores the passionate love affair between celebrated engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built France’s iconic Eiffel Tower, and Adrienne, a mysterious woman from his past. Portraying these ardent lovers will be French superstar Romain Duris, and the magnetic Emma MacKay.
And for Closing Night the Festival will screen #Iamhere (jesuislà) an endearing culture-clash comedy from director Éric Lartigau (The Bélier Family), starring Alain Chabat as an eminent French chef who travels to the other side of the world after he falls in love via Instagram.
What lies between is a myriad of delights, including a newly restored 4K edition of director Jean-Luc Godard’s masterpiece, Breathless (À bout de souffle) (1960), acknowledged as one of the earliest and most potent examples of French New Wave (nouvelle vague) cinema.
With a screenplay by Jean-Luc Godard and starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg as a pair of narcissistic young lovers on the run from authorities following a violent and impulsive crime, no debut film since Citizen Kane (1942) has had as great an influence on cinematic trends and styles.
ALINE
Directed by Valérie Lemercier Cast: Valérie Lemercier, Sylvain Marcel & Martine Fontaine Inspired by the extraordinary life of singing sensation Céline Dion, Aline is the story of a teenager from Quebec whose powerful voice propels her onto the world stage to become the darling of millions.
ANTOINETTE IN THE CÉVENNES (Antoinette dans les Cévennes)
Directed by Caroline Vignal Cast: Laure Calamy, Benjamin Lavernhe, & Olivia Côte School teacher Antoinette’s holiday plans are thwarted when her secret lover’s wife organises a surprise family trekking holiday in the Cévennes National Park, prompting Antoinette to follow their track, by herself, with Patrick, a protective donkey.
APPEARANCES (Les apparances)
Directed by Marc Fitoussi Cast: Benjamin Biolay, Karin Viard, Lucas Englander & Laetitia Dosch The wickedly entertaining new film from writer/director Marc Fitoussi, Appearances is a sexy, Chabrol-esque marital thriller, set against a luxe Vienna backdrop.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrBTSsCS-_o
ARAB BLUES (Un divan à Tunis)
Directed by Manele Labidi Cast: Golshifteh Farahani, Majd Mastoura, & Aïcha Ben Miled When Parisian psychotherapist Selma returns to her hometown in Tunisia, she is met with an eclectic town of locals that are both bewildered by her practice, and in desperate need of her help.
BLACK BOX (Boîte noire)
Directed by Yann Gozlan Cast: Pierre Niney, Lou de Laâge & André Dussollier Uncovering secrets carries a devastating toll in this thrilling story about one man’s determination to get to the bottom of what caused a horrifying plane crash.
THE BIG HIT (Un triomphe)
Directed by Emmanuel Courcol Cast: Kad Merad, Marina Hands & David Nelo Ayala Inspired by remarkable true events, multi-award-winning writer Emmanuel Courcol’s rousing, Cannes-selected directorial debut follows a dedicated out-of-work actor whose life takes an unexpected career turn.
BYE BYE MORONS (Adieu les cons)
Directed by Albert Dupontel Cast: Albert Dupontel, Virginie Efira & Nicolas Marié In this audacious dark comedy, a seriously ill woman tries to find her long-lost child with the help of a man in the middle of a bureaucratic burnout, and a blind archivist prone to over-enthusiasm.
DE GAULLE
Directed by Gabriel Le Bomin Cast: Lambert Wilson, Isabelle Carré & Olivier Gourmet Spectacularly mounted, this fine film stirringly depicts a crucial period in the life of one of the most famous figures of modern French history. Fans of biographical drama will not be disappointed.
DELETE HISTORY (Effacer l’historique)
Directed by Gustave Kervern & Benoît Delépine
Cast: Blanche Gardin, Corinne Masiero, Denis Podalydès, Vincent Lacoste,
If the complexities of the online world leave you feeling lost, confused or furious, then this laugh-out- loud film is for you. Directed by renegade duo Gustave Kervern and Benoît Delépine, Delete History won the 70th Silver Bear Berlinale prize at Berlin International Film Festival.