ADELAIDE 23 MAR - 20 APR - Palace Nova
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ADELAIDE 23 MAR - 20 APR
NATIONAL SPONSORS
PRESENTING SPONSOR
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MEDIA PARTNERS
2
CONTENTS
05 - 08 FRENCH WIT FILM BUFFS QUARTER
Welcome & Messages
30 Delete History 54 Gagarine
OPENING NIGHT FILM 31 I'll Go Where You Go 55 Ibrahim
32 Perfumes 56 Little Girl
10 Eiffel 57 Mandibles
BIGGER THAN US FAMILIES
CLOSING NIGHT FILM
34 The Big Hit 59 Calamity, a Childhood of
12 #Iamhere 35 Fahim, the Little Chess Martha Jane Cannary
Prince 60 Little Vampire
36 Final Set 61 Poly
15 The Godmother 37 Miss 62 Vicky and Her Mystery
16 Aline 38 Moving On
17 Bye Bye Morons 64 Acknowledgements
18 Appearances 65 - 80 Local Pages
19 Delicious LEGEND
20 The Rose Maker
21 The Wedding Speech 42 Breathless
HEAD OVER HEELS AROUND THE WORLD
23 Antoinette in the 46 Arab Blues
Cévennes 47 The Man Who Sold
24 Love Affair(s) His Skin
25 Summer of 85 48 Skies of Lebanon
49 Small Country: an African
EXCEPTIONAL LIVES Childhood
27 De Gaulle THRILLS & CHILLS
28 How to Become an
Astronaut 51 Black Box
52 Night Shift
3
FRENCH AMBASSADOR
I am thrilled that the 32nd edition of the
Alliance Française French Film Festival can
take place this year. Having just taken on the
ambassador role a few months ago, I am delighted
to discover Australia’s tremendous enthusiasm for
French cinema.
For over 32 years, the festival has brought us closer
to the France we love, the France that captivates
our imagination, but also the France that
questions. Every year, the festival celebrates the
growing friendship that unites our two countries,
a window into France, the French-speaking world
JEAN-PIERRE THEBAULT and beyond. The best screenwriters could not
have imagined this coronavirus crisis, which has
seen much of humanity confined over extended periods and whole industries put on-hold
or shut-down. The audiovisual sector has been hard hit, and cinemas and theaters are still
closed in most countries.
Fortunately, despite the restrictions, the film industry continued to produce films. Artists,
actors, filmmakers and creatives from all over the world are essential to our societies. It is
this creativity that gives us the strength to act, to go out and also to experiment.
In this regard, I would like to salute the tremendous commitment of our teams, who have
accomplished the impossible for the second year in a row. Faced with a pandemic that
knows neither borders nor nationality, this edition will be our ticket to escape.
Last year, the pandemic interrupted the Festival in March and deprived the city of Melbourne
of it in July. Despite these headwinds, more than 75,000 people came to the July 2020
edition, making the Festival the biggest cultural event of the year in Australia.
This year, thanks to the exceptional mobilisation of the Alliances Françaises, the services of
our Embassy, our partner Palace and Australian distributors, this will be the Festival of the
Renaissance.
We have selected 37 extraordinary films from all horizons, to offer you a magnificent 2021
edition. It’s particularly satisfying to see a growing number of female Directors represented
this year.
Cinema is in fact a permanent and universal travel ticket. Each one of you, each one of us,
will undoubtedly remember the magical moments offered by the films in this edition.
So, take a seat in this wonderful setting that is a movie theater and I wish you a good trip.
H.E. Jean-Pierre Thebault is the Ambassador of France to Australie
5
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
I am delighted to present the 32nd edition of the
Alliance Française French Film festival.
Like in previous years, our inspiring festival
highlights the best of French cinema and provides
us with something we all need right now – a
moment to breathe and an escape from these
challenging times. For this year’s edition, we have
selected 37 films that will make you dream, laugh
and cry, featuring a rich and colourful tapestry of
characters with stories larger than life. We could
not have hoped for a more inspiring opening night
film than Eiffel, a thrilling tale about one of France’s
KARINE MAURIS most iconic structures, centred around the love
story between Romain Duris and Emma MacKay.
Next, we make way for the women. In 2021, we have more female directors than ever before,
and the female characters are talented (Aline), fierce (The Rose Maker), free-minded (The
Godmother) elegant (Appearances), and as bubbly as champagne (Antoinette in the
Cévennes).
We laugh with tender bemusement at the sheer folly of certain characters (Perfumes,
#Iamhere), the absolutely bizarre (Mandibles), the magnificent losers (Delete History) and
those who rebel against the world’s insanity (Bye Bye Morons).
Like all things French, love is a recurrent theme in this year’s festival. Its complexities are
explored with sensitivity in Love Affair, humour and finesse in The Wedding Speech,
fragility in Summer of 85 and through France’s Delicious love affair of food.
The festival also highlights diversity and includes the most intriguing tale about art and
human rights (The Man Who Sold His Skin), the devastation of civil war (Small Country:
an African Childhood and Skies of Lebanon), the migrant plight (Night Shift), an urban
story which shoots our imagination to the stars (Gagarine), the fight for acceptance (Miss
and Little Girl) and the inspirational true tale of a young refugee who conquered the world
of chess (Fahim, the Little Chess Prince).
You won’t be able to resist any of these vibrant characters who live life on their own terms,
just as Jean Seberg and Jean Paul Belmondo did 60 years ago in Jean-Luc Godard’s timeless
film Breathless - our ‘classic’ French feature film for this year’s festival.
So in 2021, alongside the 32nd edition of the Alliance Française French Film Festival, let’s
escape and breathe.
Karine Mauris is the Cultural Attaché of the French Embassy, and has been the Artistic
Director of the Alliance Française French Film Festival since 2020.
6
AF AUSTRALIA
You miss France and France misses you. The strong, solid and friendly ties that unite our two
countries have not weakened in the face of a global pandemic. On the contrary, thanks to
your enthusiastic support and sincere love, the Alliance Française French Film Festival 2020
was an outstanding success in a turbulent year, and one of the largest public events to take
place in Australia last year.
We have to live up to your expectations and to this constantly renewed affection. So, we
have prepared an extraordinary programme, rich and ambitious, which will transport you
across the world despite the obstacles, laugh, fall in love, feel, and taste – like an ideal
journey on the roads of France.
With the help of all our partners, the Alliances Françaises d'Australie are proud to promote
all the facets and richness of French cinema through this 32nd edition of the world's largest
French Film Festival. But, the Alliances Françaises are also, throughout the year, your French
home where you can immerse yourself in French culture. Through our courses, both online
and face-to-face, each of you will be able to discover or perfect your knowledge of the
French language and culture. Learning with us is the best way to prepare for your next trip,
which we hope with all our hearts will be possible soon.
1883
FOUNDED IN
819
CENTRES AROUND
464,000
STUDENTS
THE WORLD
30
CENTRES AROUND
9,760
145
CULTURAL
AUSTRALIA STUDENTS EVENTS
Philippe Ostermann, National Coordination of the Festival.
7
FESTIVAL PATRON
I blame my parents for my love of French film. They
both adored going every Friday night to see ‘the
continental films’ shown at the Savoy Theatre in
Sydney. That was their treat many moons ago and
they passed their interest onto all four of their children.
I remember as a little girl, my whole family roaring
with laughter to beloved films like Mon Oncle. Jacques
Tati’s humour crossed all generations. Growing up
I fell in love with, along with the rest of the world,
Gerard Depardieu in Jean de Florette and Cyrano de
Bergerac. Gosh I loved him and his big nose. My knees
went weak over Jean Reno in Le Grand Bleu and our
CATRIONA ROWNTREE hearts were stretched by Manon des Sources (I still
love to watch re-runs of these movies).
After signing up for Getaway 25 years ago, I’m now able to explore more of France each
year, each time falling more in love with the country. Now I use French films as a tool…
to learn the language. With total focus, I repeat words softly to the screen, practising my
pronunciation, trying to expand my vocab. It’s nearly ruined my husband’s enjoyment of
watching subtitled movies with me, but I’ll get him back with the Alliance Française French
Film Festival. As a farmer in Victoria, he can’t wait to see Antoinette in the Cévennes. I'll win
major points with that and I’ll try to be quiet.
I’m also planning to see a few movies with my classmates from the Alliance Francaise. We
ALL talk back to the screen, sometimes even with GoogleTranslate on hand! The online
classes have been my ‘Covid silver lining’, even though I’m sure I’m the worst in the class.
It’s a total brain-strain, but it’s pure joy… just like the Alliance Française French Film Festival.
CATRIONA'S MOST ANTICIPATED FILMS
THE GODMOTHER - PAGE 15 THE ROSE MAKER - PAGE 20 BREATHLESS - PAGE 42
Catriona Rowntree is an Australian television presenter, known best for her work on
Nine’s Getaway.
8
9
OPENING NIGHT INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE
EIFFEL EIFFEL
ROMANCE, BIOPIC / FRANCE, GERMANY / 2021 / 115 MIN / CTC
10DIRECTED BY:
Martin Bourboulon
STARRING:
Romain Duris, Emma Mackey,
Pierre Deladonchamps, Armande Boulanger,
Michèle Clément
LANGUAGE:
French with English subtitles
The iconic Eiffel Tower proudly stands on the Champ
de Mars in the heart of Paris as a beacon of French
artistry and ingenuity. But what do we know of
Gustave Eiffel, the engineering genius to whom
the wrought-iron lattice tower is named after? This
lovingly detailed biopic recreates Paris in the late
19th century to tell his story, opening the Festival
on a high (324 meters to be precise) as the world
premiere of the biggest French production of 2020.
Having already achieved international recognition
for his work – which included the framework for
the Statue of Liberty – Eiffel was in high demand.
He wanted to design the Paris Subway, but the
French government had other ideas: they wanted
something special for the 1889 World’s Fair. Initially
struggling for inspiration, everything changes when
Eiffel encounters a mysterious woman that he once
knew many years ago.
An all-star cast that includes Romain Duris (The
Spanish Apartment) as Eiffel and Emma Mackey
(Netflix’s Sex Education) as Adrienne Bourgès, the
woman from his past, lead this gorgeous historical
film, inviting audiences to be swept away by the
passion and brilliance behind the creation of
France’s greatest cultural icon.
11CLOSING NIGHT
#IAMHERE
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
#JESUISLÀ
ROMANCE, COMEDY / FRANCE / 2020 / 98 MIN / M
12DIRECTED BY:
Éric Lartigau
STARRING:
Alain Chabat, Doona Bae, Blanche Gardin,
Ilian Bergala, Jules Sagot
LANGUAGE:
French with English subtitles
Get ready to embrace the unpredictability of life
and celebrate venturing out of your comfort zone
in the long-awaited new comedy by Éric Lartigau,
the writer/director of the worldwide smash hit The
Bélier Family (AF FFF15).
Stéphane (Alain Chabat) is in a rut. Whether it’s
his personal life or his career as the head chef at
a regional restaurant, everything just feels like it’s
on cruise control. One day on Instagram he meets
a young Korean woman named Soo (Bae Doona)
who he finds he can talk to with ease. Despite
their differences, language barrier and living so
far apart, they establish a strong bond. Smitten by
this mysterious woman, on an impulse Stéphane
boards a plane to Seoul to meet her. But when he
arrives things don’t go according to plan. Is Soo
who she says she is? Has Stéphane just made the
biggest mistake of his life?
A winning blend of endearing culture clash comedy
and an affectionate portrayal of somebody
navigating a middle-life crisis, #Iamhere is a fun
and big-hearted film about a man who may have
loved not wisely, but too well.
1314
THE GODMOTHER
LA DARONNE
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE COMEDY, DRAMA / FRANCE / 2020 / 104 MIN / CTC
STARRING ISABELLE HUPPERT, HIPPOLYTE GIRARDOT, DIRECTED BY
FARIDA OUCHANI, LILIANE ROVÈRE, JADE-NADJA NGUYEN JEAN-PAUL SALOMÉ
The effervescent Isabelle Huppert returns to the Festival (Mrs Hyde, AF FFF18; Things to
Come, AF FFF17) in The Godmother, where the gritty realism of Breaking Bad meets the
stoner comedy of a Cheech & Chong movie.
Huppert will leave you grinning from ear-to-ear in her performance as Patience Portefeux,
a middle-aged police interpreter who switches sides to become a wholesale narcotics
trafficker. Armed with her insider knowledge of the law and a striking wardrobe of Hermès
scarves, Patience reinvents herself as a drug lord.
As well as delivering laughs, The Godmother is a moving and heartfelt drama about
female empowerment. The audience is encouraged to vicariously take delight in Patience’s
transformation and gleefully relish the scenes where she dominates her competition in the
drug trade and thwarts detection from her colleagues in the police.
Based on the award-winning novel by Hannelore Cayre – who also co-wrote the script
– The Godmother is a beautifully crafted blend of French noir, drama and comedy with a
triumphant performance by Huppert as a defiantly independent woman making her mark
on the world with a bang rather than a whimper.
FRENCH, ARABIC, YIDDISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. 15ALINE
ALINE
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE COMEDY, BIOPIC / FRANCE, CANADA / 2021 / 128 MIN / CTC
STARRING VALÉRIE LEMERCIER, SYLVAIN MARCEL, DIRECTED BY
MARTINE FONTAINE, VÉRONIQUE BAYLOAUCQ, FLORIAN FRIN VALÉRIE LEMERCIER
It’s the 1980s and the music industry has a new star. A teenage girl from Quebec, Canada,
has exploded onto the world stage to deliver stirring power-pop ballads with her once-in-a-
lifetime singing voice, earning her millions of fans. Her name is Aline Dieu.
Inspired by the life, loves and legacy of real-life Quebecker singing sensation Céline Dion,
Aline is bursting with music, drama and show-stopping performances that will sweep you
off your feet. Following Aline’s evolution as a gifted child nurtured by her parents, to her
early years being mentored by the producer who would one day also love her, to her global
domination as a performer of breathtaking emotional intensity, this fictional biopic is a
glorious tribute to the best-selling Canadian recording artist of all time.
Having previously directed, written and starred in Marie-Francine (AF FFF18), the multi-
talented Valérie Lemercier once more assumes all three duties, capitalising on her
remarkable physical resemblance to Céline Dion to play Aline. As a self-proclaimed fan,
Lemercier has ensured that other loyal members of Team Céline will give their hearts
to Aline and their hearts will go on and on.
16 FRENCH, ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.BYE BYE MORONS
ADIEU LES CONS
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE COMEDY, DRAMA / FRANCE / 2020 / 87 MIN / CTC
STARRING ALBERT DUPONTEL, VIRGINIE EFIRA, DIRECTED BY
NICOLAS MARIÉ, JACKIE BERROYER, PHILIPPE UCHAN ALBERT DUPONTEL
This crowd-pleasing film by writer/director/actor Albert Dupontel (See You Up There, AF
FFF18) blends dark humour, social satire and tragedy into a frenetic and fast-paced story
that leaves audiences delightfully giddy by its twists and turns. As a testament to its wildly
entertaining characters and plot, Bye Bye Morons conquered the French box office in 2020
despite being released at the height of the curfews.
Suze Trappet (Virginie Efira, Sibyl, AF FFF20; An Impossible Love, AF FFF19) doesn’t have long
to live and she is going to make her last remaining days count. Determined to find the son
she was forced to abandon almost three decades ago, Suze sets out on a madcap quest that
is filled with adventure, peril and bewildering encounters.
While the whirlwind and borderline absurd style of the film delivers a series of glorious over-
the-top comedic set-pieces, Dupontel ensures his film never loses its heart and embeds
his characters with genuine empathy amid all the chaos. Dupontel himself is particularly
endearing as Jean-Baptiste, who becomes one of Suze’s closest companions. Exhilarating,
poignant and hilarious, this urban comedy is a refreshing blast of anarchic energy.
“An invigorating and exhilarating breath of fresh air.”
Cineuropa
FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. 17APPEARANCES
LES APPARENCES
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE DRAMA / FRANCE, BELGIUM / 2020 / 108 MIN / M
STARRING BENJAMIN BIOLAY, KARIN VIARD, DIRECTED BY
LUCAS ENGLANDER, PASCALE ARBILLOT, LAETITIA DOSCH MARC FITOUSSI
The wickedly entertaining new film from writer/director Marc Fitoussi (Folies Bergère)
Appearances is a sexy, Chabrol-esque marital thriller, featuring the sensational Karin Viard in
one of her most vivacious roles.
The setting is Vienna. Ève (Viard), Henri (Benjamin Biolay, Room 212, AF FFF20) and their
young son are among the entitled bourgeois community of wealthy French expatriates.
They move amongst “la crème de la crème”; she as the CEO of the city’s Institut Français, he
as a prestigious conductor who flitters across Europe, always in first class. It’s a seemingly
flawless life, until the day Ève begins to suspect Henri of infidelity with her son’s primary
school teacher (Laetitia Dosch). Absolutely desperate not to lose face, Ève engineers a
dangerous double game, all the while preserving the façade of a happy marriage…
Tailor-made for its indomitable star, thirteen-time César nominee and three-time winner
Viard completely inhabits the skin of a woman unafraid of callousness in her quest for
affection, financial security and, most of all, status. Expertly stripping away the varnish of
privileged social circles, Fitoussi’s darkly comic and playful thriller winks at its genre forbears
whilst tightening the screws. It’s an unashamed and cinematically luxe slice of entertainment
for adult audiences.
18 FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.DELICIOUS
DÉLICIEUX
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE COMEDY, HISTORICAL / FRANCE / 2021 / 112 MIN / CTC
STARRING GRÉGORY GADEBOIS, ISABELLE CARRÉ, DIRECTED BY
BENJAMIN LAVERNHE, GUILLAUME DE TONQUÉDEC, CHRISTIAN BOUILLETTE ÉRIC BESNARD
The best films depicting the preparation and love of fine cuisine should come with a trigger
warning: viewers should either eat beforehand, or have a reservation in place. Thus, as with
Big Night, Chocolat and Babette’s Feast, Festival audiences attending Éric Besnard’s mouth-
watering new historical comedy Delicious can only consider themselves duly forewarned.
The story is set in 1789 France, where prior to the dawn of the Revolution, gastronomy
remains strictly the domain of the aristocrats; indeed, the prestige of a noble house is entirely
dependent on the quality and reputation of its table. So, when the talented but prideful
cook Manceron (Grégory Gadebois, Love at Second Sight, AF FFF18) serves an unapproved
dish of his own creation at a dinner hosted by the self-entitled Duke of Chamfort (C’est La
Vie’s Benjamin Lavernhe), the repercussions are brutal, and he is promptly dismissed.
The wounded Manceron swears off his passion and retreats with his son to a regional inn
visited only infrequently by travellers, and where vegetable soup is the common meal. But
when a mysterious woman (Isabelle Carré, De Gaulle, AF FFF21; Moving On, AF FFF21) arrives
and offers to pay to become his apprentice, the stage is set for a wildly enjoyable tale
of reignited passion, mentorship and revenge… and of the creation of France’s very first
restaurant.
FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. 19THE ROSE MAKER
LA FINE FLEUR
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE DRAMA, COMEDY / FRANCE / 2021 / 95 MIN / CTC
STARRING CATHERINE FROT, MELAN OMERTA, DIRECTED BY
FATSAH BOUYAHMED, MARIE PETIOT, VINCENT DEDIENNE PIERRE PINAUD
The magnificent Catherine Frot (Marguerite, AF FFF16) takes centre stage as Eve, a world-
renowned rose farmer dealing with hard times. In this easy-going and good-natured
comedy, Eve allows herself to reluctantly accept help from an unlikely source and by doing
so, discovers new aspects of life that are worth nurturing.
Eve used to be content living almost in complete isolation to focus on her passion of growing
roses. When financial ruin threatens her business and livelihood, desperate measures are
required. The solution comes in the form of three new workers, who are recruited cheaply
from a back-to-work program. There’s just one small problem: they know absolutely nothing
about growing roses, or really anything at all. Eve is going to have to tend to a lot more than
just her rose bushes to keep her head above water.
Funny and kind-hearted, The Rose Maker makes full use of casting veteran actor Frot
alongside a diverse ensemble of emerging actors to play the hapless farmhands;
emphasising how underneath all the obvious differences, there is a shared humanity and
the potential for friendship.
20 FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.THE WEDDING SPEECH
LE DISCOURS
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE COMEDY / FRANCE / 2020 / 87 MIN / CTC
STARRING BENJAMIN LAVERNHE, SARA GIRAUDEAU, DIRECTED BY
KYAN KHOJANDI, JULIA PIATON, FRANÇOIS MOREL LAURENT TIRARD
Imagine being stuck at an excruciating never-ending family dinner. You and your girlfriend
are on a break and now she’s not answering your messages. And to top it off, you’re asked
to give a wedding speech even though you are neurotic and hate public speaking. This is
the situation Adrien (Benjamin Lavernhe, C’est la vie, AF FFF 18) is facing and the results will
have you in stitches.
In this smart and sophisticated arthouse comedy, we are taken deep into Adrien’s mind,
to experience his paranoid thoughts and anxiety-fuelled memories about his family. Based
on the book by acclaimed comic artist Fabrice Caro, The Wedding Speech skilfully adapts
the novel’s stream of consciousness style of writing through inventive cinematic techniques
used to break the fourth wall.
This film from director Laurent Tirard, whose previous crowd-pleasing films include Astérix
and Obélix: God Save Britannia (2012) and Little Nicholas (2009), hits all the funny bones as
it charts Adrien’s unravelling. Officially selected for Cannes and co-starring Sara Giraudeau
(The Bureau, The Translators, AF FFF20) and Kyan Khojandi (Rosalie Blum, AF FFF16), it is
not to be missed.
FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. 21AD
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ANTOINETTE DANS LES CÉVENNES
COMEDY / FRANCE / 2020 / 95 MIN / M
An Official Selection of the 2020 Cannes International Film DIRECTED BY
Festival, writer/director Caroline Vignal’s hilarious and life- Caroline Vignal
affirming romantic comedy stars the wonderful Laure Calamy STARRING
(Call My Agent!; Sibyl, AF FFF20) as a woman who finds herself Laure Calamy
HEAD OVER HEELS
on a journey of self-discovery in somewhat unexpected Benjamin Lavernhe
circumstances. Olivia Côte
Marc Fraize
40-something primary school teacher Antoinette (Calamy)
Jean-Pierre Martins
has been eagerly looking forward to a long-planned weekend
escape with married lover Vladimir, the father of one of her LANGUAGE
French with
pupils. However, their plans are upended by his wife’s booking
English subtitles
of a surprise hiking trip in the picturesque Cévennes mountains
in the South of France. Completely unversed in the ways of
“Calamy and Patrick
the wilderness, the spurned Antoinette impulsively decides to
the donkey steal
follow them, and once paired with an unlikely companion – the show in Vignal's
an obstinate but evidently wise grey donkey named Patrick – funny and original
discovers much, much more than she bargained for… comedy.”
Carried by the remarkable Calamy and her scene-stealing co- Cineuropa
star, Vignal’s wonderfully mischievous film offers both its lead
character and audiences an uproarious and poignant reminder
of the virtues of independence, and that the journey, not the
destination, is often the reward. OFFICIAL SELECTION 23AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
LOVE AFFAIR(S)
LES CHOSES QU'ON DIT, LES CHOSES QU'ON FAIT
ROMANCE, DRAMA / FRANCE / 2020 / 122 MIN / CTC
Direct from the Cannes Film Festival, Love Affair(s) embodies DIRECTED BY
many classic tropes of French cinema, by combining witty Emmanuel Mouret
dialogue with emotionally resonate truths that will have you STARRING
laughing, crying, yearning for romance and swearing off love Camélia Jordana
HEAD OVER HEELS
forever. As its name would suggest, Love Affair(s) follows a Niels Schneider
series of interlocking tales of relationships and affairs, which Émilie Dequenne
Vincent Macaigne
have been described as ‘a more serious Love Actually’.
Guillaume Gouix
At the centre of it all is Daphné (Camélia Jordana), a pregnant
woman whose boyfriend has left her alone in the French LANGUAGE
French with
countryside with his cousin Maxime (Niels Schneider, Sibyl,
English subtitles
AF FFF20), who is nursing a broken heart. As Daphné and
Maxime share stories of love gained and love lost, they become
“A rich tapestry of
increasingly intimate with each other in the seclusion of the
emotion.”
country house. Indie Wire
The tales range from the sensual to the frivolous, the
profound to the ridiculous, and the comedic to the thoughtful.
Throughout all the twists, emotional detours and unexpected
connections, Love Affair(s) is an entertaining and surprising
exploration of the complexities of modern love that will satisfy OFFICIAL SELECTION
romantics, cynics and anybody in between who has ever
24 experienced the messiness of love and desire.AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
SUMMER OF 85
ÉTÉ 85
ROMANCE, DRAMA / FRANCE / 2020 / 100 MIN / CTC
This Cannes-selected film by the prolific and eclectic French DIRECTED BY
auteur François Ozon is a seductive and wild burst of 1980s François Ozon
nostalgia. Blending the sensuality of a Pedro Almodóvar film STARRING
with the dark mystery of a Patricia Highsmith novel, Summer of Félix Lefebvre
HEAD OVER HEELS
85 is France’s edgier answer to Call Me By Your Name. Benjamin Voisin
Sitting in a police station, teenage boy Alexis (Félix Lefebvre) Philippine Velge
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi
is asked to recount what happened to his ill-fated best
Melvil Poupaud
friend David (Benjamin Voisin, Moving On, AF FFF21). Told in
flashback, Summer of 85 is a thrilling and hotblooded tale of LANGUAGE
French with
Alexis’s infatuation with David, which went from friendship to
English subtitles
love to obsession.
While Ozon is now known for recent hits such as By the Grace of
“Summer of
God (AF FFF19), his adaptation of Aidan Chambers’s 1982 novel
85 reminds us
Dance on My Grave sees him recapturing the unashamedly what makes the
queer sexual energy that characterised so many of his earlier Ozon touch so
films. Shot on 16mm and set to a soundtrack that features The unique.” Variety
Cure, Bananarama and Rod Stewart, Ozon embraces the retro
look and tone of 1980s teen movies to weave a tale of teenage
love, lust and tragedy.
OFFICIAL SELECTION
25AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
DE GAULLE
DE GAULLE
BIOPIC, DRAMA / FRANCE / 2020 / 108 MIN / M
Biographical drama is one of French cinema’s most established DIRECTED BY
and beloved genres, and Gabriel Le Bomin’s spectacularly- Gabriel Le Bomin
mounted De Gaulle stirringly depicts a crucial period in the STARRING
life of one of the most famous figures in the nation’s modern Lambert Wilson
EXCEPTIONAL LIVES
history, doing it enormous justice in the process. Isabelle Carré
It is May 1940, where the war between Germany and its Olivier Gourmet
Gilles Cohen
neighbours has intensified. Shockingly, the French army
Laurent Stocker
collapses, and Hitler seizes Paris. The government is in panic
and considers accepting defeat, but recently promoted two- LANGUAGE
French and English
star General Charles de Gaulle (The Translators, AF FFF20
with English
Lambert Wilson), wants to change the course of history...
subtitles
His wife, Yvonne (Isabelle Carré, Delicious, Moving On, AF
FFF21), is his first support, but very quickly events spiral out
“An impeccable
of control and separate them - she and their children set out imitation of
on the roads of exodus, as Charles travels to London to meet the General.”
with Winston Churchill. He wants to make another voice heard: Hollywood Reporter
that of resistance. Matching the impact and scale of recent
war dramas The Darkest Hour and The King’s Choice as it
depicts crucial incidents in gripping tick-tock fashion, Le Bomin
expertly mixes the historic and the Romanesque, charting both
a military debacle and the eventual revelation of a destiny. 27HOW TO BECOME AN ASTRONAUT
THOMAS PESQUET, L'ÉTOFFE D'UN HÉROS
DOCUMENTARY / FRANCE / 2019 / 72 MIN / MA15+
Thomas Pesquet became a national hero when, at the age of DIRECTED BY
38, he was the youngest French astronaut ever selected for Jürgen Hansen &
a 180-day mission on the International Space Station. And, Pierre-Emmanuel
Le Goff
as only the 10th French astronaut chosen for the challenge,
EXCEPTIONAL LIVES
documentary filmmakers Jürgen Hansen and Pierre-Emmanuel STARRING
Le Goff took the opportunity to track his intensive training Thomas Pesquet
Peggy Whitson
regime alongside other space travel luminaries; Russia’s Oleg
Oleg Novitskiy
Novitskiy and Peggy Whitson from the United States.
Guillaume Néry
Making a brief but memorable cameo in Alice Winocour’s
LANGUAGE
Proxima with Eva Green (AF FFF20) - Pesquet is revealed as
French, English,
an impressive figure especially when it comes to the gruelling
Russian with English
astronaut training. Through Pesquet’s perceptive and often subtitles
poetic vision of aeronautics, he sheds new light on the miracle
of space travel. “Thomas Pesquet
Travelling around the world with Pesquet as he prepares for has renewed the
his journey, Hansen and Le Goff are granted intimate insight perception of the
into the 7-year training regime between being selected for the spaceship of which
mission and launch day. The result is a fascinating portrait of we are distracted
the long, hard road that an astronaut must follow – an inspiring passengers.”
La Croix
tale of passion, determination and a taste for the unknown.
28HOT TIPS
If you are finding it hard to choose from the
film selection, check our website for
recommendations.
Browse our various themes
to make this Festival yours.
WWW.AFFRENCHFILMFESTIVAL.ORGAUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
DELETE HISTORY
EFFACER L'HISTORIQUE
COMEDY / FRANCE / 2020 / 106 MIN / CTC
If the complexities of the online world leave you feeling lost, DIRECTED BY
confused or furious then this laugh-out-loud comedy about Benoît Delépine &
three middle-aged friends fighting back against the internet Gustave Kervern
is the film for you. It’s the latest by renegade filmmaking team STARRING
Gustave Kervern and Benoît Delépine who have assembled Blanche Gardin
some of France’s top comedic actors to play the everyday Corinne Masiero
FRENCH WIT
Denis Podalydès
people trying to bring down Big Tech.
Vincent Lacoste
Marie (Blanche Gardin, #Iamhere, AF FFF21) is a single parent
Benoît Poelvoorde
whose sex tape has leaked online and wants it taken down
LANGUAGE
before her son sees it. Bertrand (Denis Podalydès, Sorry Angel,
French, English with
AF FFF20) has been writing to Facebook asking them to do
English subtitles
something about the cyberbullying his daughter is suffering,
but to no avail. Christine (Corinne Masiero, Invisibles, AF FFF20)
“Delépine and
is a driver for a ride share company and can’t handle any more Kervern at their
one-star reviews. They are clueless, but they are going to raise funniest.”
hell. Screen Daily
Funny and melancholic, Delete History won the Silver Bear 70th
Berlinale prize at the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival and
in between fits of laughter it will leave you wanting to press
Control-Alt-Delete on your own relationship with the internet.
- 2020 WINNER -
30 SILVER BEARI'LL GO WHERE YOU GO
J'IRAI OÙ TU IRAS
DRAMA, COMEDY / FRANCE / 2019 / 100 MIN / MA15+
Written, directed and co-starring Géraldine Nakache, I’ll Go DIRECTED BY
Where You Go reunites her with Leïla Bekhti (Sink or Swim, Géraldine Nakache
AF FFF19) after their previous smash-hit collaboration, All STARRING
that Glitters (AF FFF11). I’ll Go Where You Go is the tale of two Géraldine Nakache
estranged sisters with a well-meaning father, Léon (Patrick Leïla Bekhti
Timsit, AF FFF18’s Closing Night film, 50 Is the New 30), who Patrick Timsit
FRENCH WIT
Pascale Arbillot
attempts to heal their sibling divide.
Romain Francisco
As the movie’s title suggests, this is the second film in this
year’s festival to feature the music of Québec’s most beloved LANGUAGE
French with
popstar, with Céline Dion at the heart of sisters Mina (Bekhti)
English subtitles
and Vali’s (Nakache) emotionally uplifting road-trip. Although
Mina struggles to cope with Vali’s naïve ambitions to become
“Nakache injects
a famous singer, when their sick father asks Mina to travel
her films with a
with Vali to a career-making audition, Mina reluctantly agrees. seductive aura
Where the adventure leads the estranged sisters will surprise of narrative
both the family and the audience. continuity.”
Nakache captures a vital and sincere energy brought to life by Cineuropa
Dion’s iconic tunes. In keeping with the songs made so famous
by the beloved pop diva, emotions run high in I’ll Go Where You
Go, resonating universal themes of family, love and the healing
power of great music. 31AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
PERFUMES
LES PARFUMS
COMEDY / FRANCE / 2020 / 100 MIN / CTC
Perfumes is a classic odd-couple story about two people whose DIRECTED BY
temperaments are poles apart; and yet, opposites attract. This Grégory Magne
personality clash comedy delivers a winning formula of social STARRING
observation, character drama and empathy. Emmanuelle Devos
Desperately wanting to get shared custody of his daughter, Grégory Montel
sad-sack divorced dad Guillaume Favre (Grégory Montel, Call Gustave Kerven
FRENCH WIT
Sergi López
My Agent!, Diane Has the Right Shape, AF FFF18) needs to keep
Zélie Rixhon
his job as a chauffeur to pay for somewhere better to live. His
resolve is put to the test when he is assigned a new client: LANGUAGE
French with
gifted perfumer Anne Walberg (Emmanuelle Devos, My Days
English subtitles
of Glory, AF FFF20) whose skills at constructing and identifying
scents are matched by her egotism and lack of tact. Unlike most
“Like a visit to
people, Guillaume is bold enough to stand up to Anne and
the perfume
that’s something she respects. They don’t form an instant bond department at
overnight, but at least she doesn’t fire him, so that’s a start. Galeries Lafayette
It is a testament to the wonderful performances of the leads before a taxi ride on
that the friction between the mismatched pair remains so a rainy day in Paris.”
good natured. As their professional relationship evolves into a The Guardian
sensitive and sweet friendship, Perfumes emerges as a breath
of fresh – albeit scented – air.
32AD
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
THE BIG HIT
UN TRIOMPHE
DRAMA, COMEDY / FRANCE / 2020 / 100 MIN / M
Inspired by remarkable true events, multi award-winning writer DIRECTED BY
Emmanuel Courcol’s rousing, Cannes-selected directorial Emmanuel Courcol
debut follows a dedicated out-of-work actor (indelibly played STARRING
by the fabulous Kad Merad, Orchestra Class, AF FFF18) whose Kad Merad
Marina Hands
BIGGER THAN US
life takes an unexpected career turn.
Disillusioned and divorced middle-aged thespian Étienne David Nelo Ayala
Lamine Cissokho
(Merad) accepts an arts rehabilitation role, leading a theatre
Sofian Khammes
workshop group at a correctional facility, under the watchful
eye of open-minded but cautious warden Ariane (Marina LANGUAGE
French with
Hands, Chic!, AF FFF16). His program attracts a motley group,
English subtitles
and Étienne, surprised by the raw talent he unearths, comes
up with the idea of workshopping Beckett’s Waiting for Godot.
“The Big Hit
To the surprise of many, the play’s existential themes prove to
delivers brilliant
be a natural fit for the inmates, and the connection between performances from
the cast and their kind-hearted director grows stronger with the young, up-
every rehearsal… though not without exception, and some very and-coming cast.”
unexpected ramifications. Haute Lifestyle
Inscribed with intelligence and humour, The Big Hit was named
Best Comedy of 2020 at this year’s European Film Awards. It’s
a deeply empathetic celebration of camaraderie, faith in others
- 2020 WINNER -
34 (and oneself), and the liberating power of art. EUROPEAN COMEDYAUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
FAHIM, THE LITTLE CHESS PRINCE
FAHIM
DRAMA, COMEDY / FRANCE / 2019 / 107 MIN / PG
If the addictive hit series The Queen’s Gambit has left you DIRECTED BY
craving more stories about young chess masters, then don’t Pierre François
miss the true story of Fahim Mohammad, the Bangladeshi Martin-Laval
refugee boy who became a national French chess champion. STARRING
Assad Ahmed
BIGGER THAN US
Fahim, the Little Chess Prince is an inspirational underdog story
that will have you cheering in your seat as a boy on the brink of Gérard Depardieu
Isabelle Nanty
despair overcomes immense obstacles.
Mizanur Rahaman
After fleeing with his father to France from Bangladesh to
Sarah Touffic
escape political persecution, 9-year-old Fahim experiences Othman-Schmitt
poverty, homelessness and hopelessness until he discovers
LANGUAGE
something that makes him feel alive again: chess. Through a
French, Bengali
chance encounter, Fahim finds himself mentored by top chess with English
coach Sylvain, played with charming gruffness by Gérard subtitles
Depardieu, who enters him into a tournament. But being
allowed to compete is not straightforward, and just getting to
the chessboard proves to be Fahim’s biggest challenge yet.
Full of drama and tension with a star-making performance
by the young Bengali actor Assad Ahmed as the junior chess
champion, Fahim, the Little Chess Prince is an immensely
rewarding celebration of the power of resilience, self-belief and
having faith in other people to defy the odds. 35INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE
FINAL SET
5ÈME SET
DRAMA / FRANCE / 2020 / 108 MIN / M
A tense and nail-biting drama about the high-pressure world DIRECTED BY
of professional tennis playing, Final Set is a must-see for fans Quentin Reynaud
of sport films, but also for anybody who loves stories about STARRING
people facing immense odds. Alex Lutz
Ana Girardot
BIGGER THAN US
From an early age Thomas (Alex Lutz, Guy, AF FFF19) was on
the path to becoming a world champion, but he never got the Kristin Scott Thomas
Tariq Bettahar
break he and his mother Judith (acclaimed star of French and
Damien Gouy
English cinema Kristin Scott Thomas) felt he deserved. Now as
he approaches the end of his 30s, hampered by injury and past LANGUAGE
French with
his peak fitness levels, Thomas decides to take one last shot at
English subtitles
winning the French Open. Will he finally achieve the glory he’s
always wanted?
Final Set delivers a captivating insight into the challenges faced
by an aging sport player who has passed his prime and yet still
yearns for a place in the spotlight. Thomas has to win on the
tennis court, but he also has to win the battle against internal
and external demands including aging, self-doubt, pressure
from loved ones to quit and the confronting reality that youth
is the most prized currency and commodity.
36AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
MISS
MISS
COMEDY / FRANCE / 2020 / 107 MIN / CTC
Twenty years ago, Billy Elliot showed us that boys can dance DIRECTED BY
and now Miss will win hearts as it proves that boys can compete Ruben Alves
in beauty pageants. The new film by Ruben Alves (The Gilded STARRING
Cage) is a feel-good story about overcoming hardship and Alexandre Wetter
Pascale Arbillot
BIGGER THAN US
prejudice, with a fun and light-hearted commentary on how
attitudes towards gender are shaped. It is the best kind of Thibault de
Montalembert
thought-provoking film: one that is celebratory and joyful.
Stéfi Celma
Ever since childhood Alex (Alexandre Wetter) had wanted to
Isabelle Nanty
enter the annual Miss France beauty pageant, despite being
LANGUAGE
a boy. However, adolescence was not kind and Alex suffered
French with
huge blows to his self-esteem. When an unexpected encounter
English subtitles
allows Alex to once more pursue his dreams, he does
everything he can to transcend the traditional binary gender
“A luminous and
definitions that threaten to hold him back. joyful ode to the
Miss is the first major acting role for Wetter, a model who has acceptance of
made a career out of defying gender norms. Wetter’s personal the self and of
journey makes them the perfect person to play Alex in this others.” Cineuropa
inspirational film that inspires us to rethink the status quo.
37AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
MOVING ON
UN VRAI BONHOMME
DRAMA, COMEDY / FRANCE / 2020 / 88 MIN / CTC
In this tender film about a teenage boy attempting to grow DIRECTED BY
up, fall in love and fit in at a new school, nothing is what it Benjamin Parent
seems. A coming-of-age story with a difference, Moving On is STARRING
as imaginative as it is warm hearted. Thomas Guy
Benjamin Voisin
BIGGER THAN US
Tom (emerging actor Thomas Guy) is 16-years-old and adores
his older brother Léo (Benjamin Voisin, who also appears in Isabelle Carré
Laurent Lucas
this year’s festival in Summer of 85). Tom is shy, reserved and
Nils Othenin-Girard
awkward, so looks to Léo for guidance on how to become cool
and “manly” in order to make friends and win the girl of his LANGUAGE
French with English
dreams. But while Léo initially seems like the ideal role model
subtitles
for Tom, a tragic revelation challenges the relationship between
the brothers. If he can’t rely on Léo, how does Tom fend for
“... a film which
himself?
knows how to
The debut feature film by Benjamin Parent, whose award- draw tender smiles
winning 2012 short film It’s Not a Cowboy Movie established from its audience
him as a major new talent, is a refreshing and uplifting take on on moving and
the teen film, portraying adolescent masculinity with a delicate difficult subjects.”
balance of good humour and empathy that will pull at the Cineuropa
heartstrings.
38AD
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LEGEND
BREATHLESS
À BOUT DE SOUFFLE
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE DRAMA, ROMANCE / FRANCE / 1960 / 90 MIN / PG
STARRING JEAN-PAUL BELMONDO, JEAN SEBERG, DIRECTED BY
HENRI-JACQUES HUET, LILIANE DREYFUS, CLAUDE MANSARD JEAN-LUC GODARD
If you’ve never seen Breathless, now is the time. If you have, then you’ve never seen it
like this: newly restored in 4K and projected on the big screen in all its ground-breaking
brilliance. Sensual, thrilling and effortlessly cool, Breathless changed cinema forever.
After shooting a policeman, petty criminal Michel (Jean-Paul Belmondo) attempts to lay
low with his American girlfriend, aspiring journalist Patricia (Jean Seberg), who is unaware
of what he’s done.
Written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard from a treatment by François Truffaut and Claude
Chabrol, Breathless is one of the most iconic films from the revolutionary French New Wave
period of the late 1950s and 1960s. Inspired by American crime dramas, but completely
rejecting the Hollywood approach to film style and storytelling, Breathless bursts with
infectious and defiant energy that is just as subversive and joyful today as it was in 1960.
Not just a masterpiece of French cinema and not just a classic from the French New Wave,
Breathless is simply one of the greatest and most influential films ever made, appearing at
number 13 on the 2012 Sight and Sound Greatest Films of All Time poll.
“There is simply no other film which demonstrates so perfectly
what it feels like to be young and in love.”
The Guardian
SILVER BERLIN BEAR WINNER
BEST DIRECTOR, 1960
4243
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45AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
ARAB BLUES
UN DIVAN À TUNIS
COMEDY, DRAMA / FRANCE / 2020 / 88 MIN / M
Having won over audiences at festivals around the world, DIRECTED BY
including Toronto, London and Busan, it is time for Australia Manele Labidi
to bask in the glow of Arab Blues. Starring Golshifteh Farahani, STARRING
whose international credits include Ridley Scott’s Body of Lies Golshifteh Farahani
AROUND THE WORLD
and Jim Jarmusch’s Paterson, Arab Blues is a delightful fish-out- Majd Mastoura
of-water comedy that will bring a smile to the face of anybody Aïcha Ben Miled
Fériel Chamari
who has ever bumbled through the foibles of adjusting to a
Hichem Yacoubi
new culture.
Farahani plays Selma, a psychotherapist who, after living in LANGUAGE
French, Arabic with
Paris for most of her life, decides to return to her hometown
English subtitles
in Tunisia to set up a new practice. The adjustment is not
quite as smooth as Selma anticipates as many of the locals are
“The beating heart
suspicious about her approach to mental health. Nevertheless,
of the film is the
Selma soon welcomes a steady flow of clients resulting in a subtle performance
hilarious series of larger-than-life encounters with the residents by Farahani, which
of the town, although she also comes to the attention of the showcases the
local bureaucrats, who threaten to shut her down. befuddlement
Arab Blues is a joyful and cathartic release, not unlike coming felt at the time.”
out of the therapist’s office, but with more laughs. Cineuropa
46AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
THE MAN WHO SOLD HIS SKIN
L'HOMME QUI A VENDU SA PEAU
DRAMA / FRANCE, TUNISIA, BELGIUM, GERMANY, SWEDEN / 2020 / 100 MIN / MA15+
What would it take to convince somebody to become a living DIRECTED BY
canvas for a tattoo artwork? For Syrian refugee Sam Ali it is Kaouther Ben Hania
the promise of being reunited with the woman he loves in this STARRING
modern Faustian tale, which is the most biting art-world satire Yahya Mahayni
AROUND THE WORLD
since The Square. Monica Bellucci
Exiled and heartbroken, Sam agrees to have a copy of the Dea Liane
Darina Al Joundi
European Schengen visa tattooed on his back. He believes
Koen De Bouw
this will be his ticket to freedom and fortune, once he fulfils
his contractual obligations of appearing in art galleries. After LANGUAGE
French, Arabic,
a series of misadventures that start to strip away his sense
English with English
of identity, he begins to grasp the extent of the irreversible
subtitles
decision he has made.
The premise of the film was inspired by Wim Delvoye’s 2008 “A bold, captivating
art-work ‘Tim’, which consists of tattooed man Tim Steiner and edifying tale
about freedom,
sitting in galleries around the world and can currently be seen
where refugees and
at MONA. The Man Who Sold His Skin premiered at the 2020 the contemporary
Venice Film Festival where it won the Horizons Best Actor award art world collide.”
for Yahya Mahayni’s performance as Sam in this provocative Cineuropa
film about doing whatever it takes to be with the one you love.
- 2020 WINNER -
BEST ACTOR 47AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
SKIES OF LEBANON
SOUS LE CIEL D'ALICE
DRAMA / FRANCE / 2021 / 90 MIN / CTC
A poetic blending of the personal and political, Skies of DIRECTED BY
Lebanon combines live action with animation to create a vivid Chloé Mazlo
picture of Lebanon, inspired by the family history of filmmaker STARRING
Chloé Mazlo. Using stories told to her by her grandmother of Alba Rohrwacher
AROUND THE WORLD
life during the Lebanese Civil War, Mazlo crafts a touching and Wajdi Mouawad
heart-breaking story of love during wartime. Isabelle Zighondi
Mariah Tannoury
Alba Rohrwacher (Happy as Lazzaro) plays Alice, a Swiss
Odette Makhlouf
woman who moved to Beirut in the 1950s and falls in love with
a Lebanese man. Wajdi Mouawad (author of the play Incendies, LANGUAGE
French, Arabic,
which was the source material for Denis Villeneuve’s 2010 film)
Italian with English
plays Joseph, an astrophysicist with dreams of sending his
subtitles
fellow citizens into space, and the object of Alice’s affection.
Joseph and Alice appear to lead the perfect life until their bliss
is ripped apart by the civil war and nothing will be the same
again. OFFICIAL SELECTION
An official selection for the 2020 Cannes International
Critics’ Week, Skies of Lebanon stunningly gives shape to the
emotional undercurrents felt by the characters through the use
of animation. This rewarding and quietly devastating cinematic
experience announces Mazlo’s arrival as an important new
48 talent.AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
SMALL COUNTRY: AN AFRICAN CHILDHOOD
PETIT PAYS
DRAMA / FRANCE / 2020 / 113 MIN / MA15+
Small Country: an African Childhood is inspired by the incredible DIRECTED BY
true story of a young boy growing up in the small African Éric Barbier
country of Burundi during the 1990s, whose world was turned STARRING
upside down by the tidal wave of violence and unrest from Jean-Paul Rouve
AROUND THE WORLD
neighbouring Rwanda. This powerful and dramatic coming-of- Isabelle Kabano
age story puts a much-needed human face on events that we Djibril Vancoppenolle
Delya De Medina
must never forget.
Veronika Varga
Gabriel (newcomer Djibril Vancoppenolle) is a happy young
boy who was born to a French father and a Rwandan mother. LANGUAGE
French, Kirundi,
Although his family life isn’t perfect, with tensions growing
Swahili with
between his parents, Gabriel mostly enjoys his carefree
English subtitles
existence of going to school and playing with his friends.
Unfortunately, such days are not to last as the Rwandan
“A wonderful film,
conflict between the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups is becoming tender and savage
increasingly violent and starting to spill over into Burundi. at the same time.”
An adaptation of Gaël Faye’s semi-autobiographical book Sudhir Mishra
about his own childhood experiences, which resulted in him
having to flee Burundi to emigrate to France, Small Country:
an African Childhood offers an invaluable perspective on a
devastating chapter of modern history as seen through the
eyes of a naïve child, right before his innocence is lost forever. 49Australia’s best new podcast, hosted by Ruby Jones. Listen to 7am wherever you get your podcasts. *Australian podcast awards Australia’s best new podcast, hosted by Ruby Jones. Listen to 7am wherever you get your podcasts. *Australian podcast awards
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE
BLACK BOX
BOÎTE NOIRE
THRILLER, DRAMA / FRANCE / 2021 / 130 MIN / M
Uncovering secrets carries a devastating toll in this thrilling DIRECTED BY
story about one man’s determination to get to the bottom of Yann Gozlan
what caused a horrifying plane crash. It won’t take long for this STARRING
film to reel in audiences with its mystery and tension, keeping Pierre Niney
THRILLS & CHILLS
them in suspense until the final shocking reveal. Lou de Laâge
When a brand-new aircraft on a flight from Dubai to Paris André Dussollier
Sébastien
crashes, Mathieu (Pierre Niney, Promise at Dawn, AF FFF17),
Pouderoux
one of the best black box analysts available, is assigned the
Olivier Rabourdin
task of finding out what happened. Before he gets the chance
LANGUAGE
to properly investigate, the case is dismissed. Something is
French with
not right and Mathieu wants to discover the truth. Defying
English subtitles
his superiors and increasingly putting himself at risk, Mathieu
becomes relentless in his pursuit to find out what happened to
the ill-fated flight. But what price will he have to pay?
Written and directed by Yann Gozlan, who also directed Niney
in A Perfect Man (AF FFF16), Black Box is a gripping dive into the
murky depths of an insidious cover-up and the extreme lengths
people will go to fight for the truth.
51AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
NIGHT SHIFT
POLICE
THRILLER, DRAMA / FRANCE / 2020 / 99 MIN / M
The new film by acclaimed Luxembourger auteur filmmaker DIRECTED BY
Anne Fontaine (Coco Before Chanel; The Innocents, AF FFF17) is Anne Fontaine
an engrossing insight into the high-pressure world of policing. STARRING
Set over 24-hours, Night Shift follows three officers who start Virginie Efira
THRILLS & CHILLS
to doubt their actions. Omar Sy
Premiering at the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival, Night Grégory Gadebois
Payman Maadi
Shift questions the role of the police and scrutinises the legal
Emmanuel Barrouyer
and moral culpability of individual officers just following orders.
Aristide (the irresistible Omar Sy, Lupin) Virginie (Virginie Efira, LANGUAGE
French with
Sibyl, AF FFF20) and Erik (Grégory Gadebois, Reinventing
English subtitles
Marvin, AF FFF18) are three world-weary cops who have to
put aside their personal lives to do their jobs. But this night
“Virginie Efira –
their professional detachment is put to the test when they are
clearly on the verge
ordered to escort a man to a plane for deportation to a country of an international
that will kill him. breakthrough –
France is just one of the many nations engulfed in debate continues to
about police powers and the treatment of refugees, making impress with a cool
Night Shift a boldly relevant film. A tense and gritty drama, command.”
Night Shift is guaranteed to be one of the Festival’s most talked Screen Daily
about events.
52Make Your French Pop! with the Alliance Française
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
GAGARINE
GAGARINE
DRAMA / FRANCE / 2021 / 95 MIN / CTC
When reality tries to ground a teenage boy’s dreams of DIRECTED BY
becoming an astronaut, it’s his imagination that elevates him to Fanny Liatard &
the stars, in this poetic blending of realism and fantasy. Jérémy Trouilh
FILM BUFFS QUARTER
Named in the 1960s after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, Cité STARRING
Gagarine is a condemned housing project in the suburbs of Lyna Khoudri
Paris where aspiring astronaut, 16-year-old Youri (newcomer Alséni Bathily
Finnegan Oldfield
Alséni Bathily), has lived his entire life. While it has been a
Jamil McCraven
tough existence, there is no way he will allow his home to be
Farida Rahouadj
demolished without putting up a fight.
LANGUAGE
Enlisting the help of friends Houssam, (Jamil McCraven,
French with English
Nocturama) Diana (Lyna Khoudri, The French Dispatch; The
subtitles
Extraordinary AF FFF20), and other members of his close-knit
community, Youri attempts to save his building. However, as
“A wondrous debut
he transforms his apartment into a space capsule, he becomes feature.” Variety
increasingly isolated, eventually living like a lone survivor in a
spaced-out world of his own creation.
Premiering at Cannes in 2020, Gagarine is a powerful story of
class, race, imagination and wonder, that allows audiences to
share Youri’s dreams of space and weightlessness. This film will OFFICIAL SELECTION
make souls soar and hearts beat faster, as it races towards its
54 nail-biting finale.You can also read
