French Film Festival UK launches programme
Cannes award-winners in the mix for 34th edition
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| All Of A SuddenPhoto: Festival de Cannes |
The programme for the 34th edition of the French Film Festival UK was launched today in Edinburgh by festival director Richard Mowe.
The festival, which runs from November 4 to December 9, features a diverse programme of contemporary French and francophone cinema and will screen at more than 40 venues across the UK.
Announcing the programme, Mowe noted, “There’s something in the zeitgeist this year, that’s reflected in the two massive De Gaulle epics that came out on British screens – they’re now standing at six million admissions – as other directors had already started to look at that period. Xavier Giannoli’s Rays and Shadows and Emmanuel Marre’s A Man Of His Time also exploring wartime themes. France’s filmmakers seem to be coming to terms with the country’s past and present.”
Both A Man Of His Time, which premiered in Cannes, and Rays And Shadows explore the moral complexities of the Occupation. Meanwhile Lukas Dhont’s Coward, which saw its leads Valentin Campagne and Emmanuel Macchia named joint Best Actor in Cannes, focuses on the romance between two Belgian soldiers during the First World War.
Other highlights in the programme, include Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s All Of A Sudden, which saw its stars Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto share the Best Actress gang in Cannes. Other familiar names in the programme include Amélie director Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s latest Violette, following the life of French writer Violette Leduc (Emmanuelle Devos).
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| CowardPhoto: Aline Boyen/Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival |
The festival at Edinburgh’s Filmhouse will open with historical crime drama The Money Maker, about a master counterfeiter. The director Jean-Paul Salomé will be in attendance.
There’s comedy in the programme too, including #MeToo satire Crescendo, directed by Agnès Jaoui. That is part of the strong Femmes first strand, showcasing the work of female directors. It also features A Woman’s Life starring French A-lister Léa Drucker – who can also be seen in crime drama Case 137 – as a hospital surgeon who finds love makes life complicated; and Women On Trial, directed by Lauriane Escaffre, Yvo Muller. It stars Charlotte Gainsbourg and revisits the landmark 1972 case involving lawyer Gisèle Halimi and the fight for women’s reproductive rights in France.
Classic stories are also represented, with a modern reworking of Phantom Of The Opera by Alexandre Castagnetti, starring Romain Duris and a non-musical retelling of Les Miserables by Fred Cavayé. Animation and documentary are also well represented by films including dysfunctional family satire Blaise and Lumière! The Adventure Continues, which celebrates the work of the famous filmmaking brothers. There’s also a tribute to Jean Gabin, with films including Stormy Waters and Any Number Can Win.
For more information about the full programme, visit www.frenchfilmfestival.org.uk
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