by Christine Westwood
49 contemporary and classic French films are poised to entertain, confront and delight audiences across 8 Australian cities and 4 satellite locations as the 31st Alliance Française French Film Festival [AFFFF] launches its 6 week program from 10 March.
From opening night’s inspirational story of compassion and kindness in The Extraordinary (Hors normes) by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano (The Intouchables) and starring Vincent Cassel, the bar is set high.
Juliette Binoche is the head of a housekeeping school in How to be a Good Wife, Fanny Ardant yearns for lost love in The Bare Necessity and is an unfaithful wife in La Belle Epoque, while singing legend, activist and filmmaker Charles Aznavour presents his biography in Aznavour by Charles.
The currency of contemporary French cinema is reflected in the themes and original screenplays, promising an exciting cultural feast.
We asked Artistic Director Philippe Platel about the Festival’s origins, line up and standout films and why AFFFF is a key event in the independent film landscape.
How did the Festival first come about? What was its original aim and directive?
The Festival was ignited 30 years ago and at that time was an endeavour of Palace Cinemas, Unifrance, the Alliance Française network and the French Embassy in Australia. Actually, in terms of partners, it hasn’t changed. It started in Sydney and Melbourne, and expanded to the other capital cities with the collective aim of promoting French films and their diversity.
What are the main ways the festival has evolved over 30 years?
The Festival has become bigger with each passing year and is now the largest Festival dedicated to French films in the world and one of the most important film festivals in Australia, with 196,000 spectators at last count. The Festival has also reflected the way the French film industry has evolved and embraced new genres. Today, the Festival needs to reflect this diversity more than ever.
Why do you think the festival has endured for so long?
Largely due to Australia’s love affair with French culture and probably because our stories speak to everyone. I am always impressed by the number of Australians who revere filmmakers such as Goddard, Truffaut, Tavernier, Claire Denis and their like.
What have you been most proud of in your 4 years as Artistic Director?
I am very happy and proud that we’ve been able to increase the box office by 25% over the last 3 years with films which are more diverse than ever. I opened the line-up to sub-genres which the younger generation are particularly fond of (horror, zombies, vampires…). I’m also very proud we could present an LGBTIQ section when marriage equality was voted for in Australia and that we developed a partnership with the Mardi Gras in Sydney, as well as in other cities.
I also felt that it was essential for the Festival to offer more than just screenings, which is why I have battled to bring guests from France. The visit of Jacques Audiard last year was clearly a coup and nobody will forget the Q&As he gave.
This year we have broadened the experience with a playlist of 45 tracks from the films of the Festival. The playlist – Alliance Française French Film Festival – is available on all platforms and gives the audience the opportunity to be immersed in French films and songs for the whole month of March. After 4 years, this edition is my last one and I’m feeling very emotional, as you can imagine.
Any personal standout moments over the last 4 years?
The guests we brought over, thanks to our partner Unifrance, were all standouts; Emmanuelle Bercot, Rebecca Zlotowski, David Foenkinos, Philippe Mangeot, Laurent Lafitte, Gilles Lellouche, Jacques Audiard and this year, Zabou Breitman.
A wonderful article in Le Monde, written by revered journalist Annick Cojean to celebrate the Festival’s 30th anniversary, which was titled, “Australia, the other nation of French cinema” was also an unforgettable milestone.
What are the main themes and narratives this year and any insight on the choices for the program?
Interestingly, there has been a huge response from French audiences for films embracing the hard topics of the real world, such as social tension, agricultural crisis, politics, etc. This thread is quite well represented in the 2020 line-up. Films like Les Misérables, In the Name of the Land, The Invisibles and School Life were very successful in France, attracting more than 2 million spectators each, whilst being quite separate to beloved and easy genres such as comedies and rom-coms, of which we have a great selection, too. La Belle Epoque is absolutely unmissable in that respect.
We don’t choose a theme each year – rather, the theme reveals itself from what the industry has produced and how audiences have responded. Even a comedy, which may seem traditional, can embrace serious topics. For example, being politically stagnant is twisted in a very comedic way within Alice and the Mayor; the loss of inspiring heroes is a pretext for a fairy tale in the The Lost Prince; the challenges of the educational system are presented in School Life, whilst the isolation of people in hugely populated cities is the underlying message of the seemingly light romcom by Cedric Klapisch, Someone, Somewhere.
I also would like to mention The Swallows of Kabul, which is one of the most moving stories within our 2020 line-up. It’s an animated film by the multi-talented Zabou Breitman who will be this year’s Festival guest. The wonderful landscapes seem like watercolours created by tears and sweat. It’s a must-see.
Head to the Alliance Française French Film Festival to find out more.
