A long-time admirer of French cinema, George Miller has been announced as a Patron of this year’s Alliance Francaise French Film Festival. The Mad Max filmmaker was honoured in 2010 with France’s prestigious Order of Arts and Letters in recognition of his impressive body of work.
Miller will be joined as a patron this year by movie critic David Stratton, who also received France’s Order of Arts and Letters in recognition of his services to cinema and, in particular, French cinema.
In addition to the participation of these two gentlemen, the festival will also be graced by the involvement of husband and wife acting duo Marta Dusseldorp (A Place To Call Home, Janet King) and Benjamin Winspear, who will oversee a new Small Screens on the Big Screen category, which will celebrate French television, screening the first two episodes of five acclaimed French television shows.
Ahead of the release of the full 2016 program on February 2, Stratton lists five of his must-see highlights. FilmInk can vouch for The Measure of a Man and The White Knights, two films headlined by the superb Vincent Lindon, each provocative in their own ways.
COURTED (L’Hermine)
“A smart, amusing comedy from writer/director Christian Vincent, in which Fabrice Luchini – in excellent form – portrays a cranky, Criminal Court Judge, who finds himself attracted to a female jury-member during a murder trial.”
MICROBE & GASOLINE (Microbe et Gasoil)
“From director Michel Gondry comes this unpretentiously charming film about the friendship between two 12 year-old boys – shy Daniel and extroverted Théo – who embark upon an exciting adventure in an automobile that they construct from scrap metal.”
TAJ MAHAL
“At a time when terrorism has affected the lives of so many, Nicolas Saada’s thought-provoking film follows the plight of an Anglo-French family caught-up in the November 2008 invasion of Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Hotel by fundamentalist extremists. Stacy Martin is excellent as the 18 year-old daughter trapped in one of the hotel rooms during the terrifying attack.”
THE MEASURE OF A MAN (La Loi du marché)
“The French title, Market Forces, ironically describes the reasons behind the plight of a factory worker, Thierry (portrayed by Vincent Lindon who was named Best Actor at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival for his performance), who, following the loss of his job, struggles against great odds to provide for his family. This may sound grim, but as handled by director Stéphane Brizé, this film is an absorbing testament to human resilience and decency.”
THE WHITE KNIGHTS (Les Chevaliers blancs)
“In an unnamed North African country, a dedicated group of aid workers, led by Jacques (Vincent Lindon) are trying to alleviate the plight of hundreds of orphans, aged less than five-years, by offering them for adoption in France. But their efforts, compromised by misunderstandings and deceptions, don’t go according to plan, in this tough-minded and very up-to-the-minute drama by Joachim Lafosse.”
The 2016 Alliance Française French Film Festival will screen around the country from March 1 to April 28. For dates, venue and programming information, head to the festival website.
And here’s a taster below.
