January 23, 2006, Staten Island, NY…..The Department of Modern Languages at WagnerCollege will be screening five recent French films between January 30 and February 3, 2006. All screenings will take place in the Spiro Communications Center, Hall #2 on the Staten Island Campus.
The festival is made possible with the support of the French Ministry of Culture (CNC), and the Cultural Services of the French Embassy.
The Tournees grant is also sponsored by The Florence Gould Foundation, the Grand Marnier Foundation and the Franco-American Cultural Fund.
Admission is free and open to all and all films have English subtitles. Venez nombreux!
Monday 30 January, 3pm
MONSIEUR IBRAHIM
Directed by François Dupeyron, 2003. This poignant and delicate film tells the story of the friendship between a young Jewish boy, Moise, and an elderly Muslim, M. Ibrahim. Moise does his family's grocery shopping at Ibrahim's store and, despite their problems, affection develops between them. Their friendship culminates in a trip to Turkey in M. Ibrahim's new car. The film is set in a working-class neighborhood in 1960s Paris and contains some stunning shots of the city.
Tuesday 31 January, 7pm
LA FLEUR DU MAL
Directed by Claude Chabrol, 2003. In The Flower of Evil, Francois returns to France after spending four years studying in Chicago. Back in his wealthy family's Bordeaux estate, he discovers things about his relatives that he would rather not know. Francois is in love with his cousin, his step-father is a philanderer, his mother is obsessed with being elected mayor of the city and his grandmother may have committed murder. Between the hate, prejudice, bitterness, mistrust, resentment and deceit, the family provides a very entertaining satire of bourgeois life.
Wednesday 1 February, 3pm
CHAOS
Directed by Coline Serreau, 2002. Chaos is a comical, fast-paced and fantastic film centered upon the treatment of women in contemporary society. As Paul and Helene drive through Paris, a woman runs up to their car screaming for help. Helene wants to call the police but Paul refuses. The following day, Helene traces the woman to a local hospital and assists her recovery. The woman gradually tells Helene the story of her childhood in Algeria, how she was sold to an older man by her father, how she escaped and was then enslaved by prostitution. Together, the two plot their revenge... Followed by a presentation by Dr. Adrian Fielder entitled "Modern Slavery In and Out of the Home: Prostitution, Islam and Marriage in France, as represented in Coline Serreau's Chaos".
Thursday 2 February, 7pm
LES TRIPLETTES DE BELLEVILLE
Directed by Sylvain Chomet, 2003. The Triplets of Belleville is a very innovative animated film. Champion is being raised by his grandmother in a gray suburb of 1950s Paris. In order to brighten his days, his grandmother trains him to compete in bicycle races. The years pass and Champion eventually enters the Tour de France. But he is kidnapped during the race! His grandmother tries to save him, and encounters three women called the triplets of Belleville on the way. We follow them on their hilarious journey to save Champion.
Friday 3 February, 3pm
UNE FEMME DE MENAGE
Directed by Claude Berri, 2002. The Housekeeper is a romantic comedy centered around Jacques, a fifty-year-old Frenchman. When Jacques's wife leaves him, he decides to employ a housekeeper. But, Jacques soon finds out that his alluring young housekeeper has never cleaned a house in her life.
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