Alliance Française de Hartford Local French Films

Sun Mar 30 2:30pm

The Marriage Circle
(1920, 80 min.)

A silent film (and live piano accompaniment by Patrick Miller), this year's little-seen classic is an elegant, ironic comedy starring French actor Adolph Menjou, whose suspicions about the fidelity of his Jazz Age flapper wife (Marie Prevost) insidiously infects their circle of married friends. Lubitsch slyly asks if everyone is capable of adultery. What, apr s tout, is the point of marriage?

A coffee and pastry reception follows this opening film.

Sun Mar 30 7:30pm

Lady Chatterley

Mon Mar 31 7:30pm

The Cat / Le chat
(1971, 97 min.).

Simone Signoret (Les Diaboliques) and Jean Gabin (Grand Illusion) - together in a wonderfully dark comedy. Signoret and Gabin portray a married couple for whom living together for 25 years has brought more misery than hearts and flowers.The only way they communicate is by addressing their conversation to a stray cat, beloved by Gabin detested by Signoret.

Tue Apr 1 7:30pm

Stolen Kisses / Baisers volés
(1968, 90 min.).

With Paris of the 1960s providing a magical backdrop, François Truffaut's bittersweet comedy about the shaky relationship of young lovers is the third in his Antoine Doinel series starring Jean-Pierre Léaud of The 400 Blows.

Wed Apr 2 7:30pm

Blame It on Voltaire / La faute à Voltaire
(2000, 130 min.)

An unsparing look at life on the margins in the land of liberté, égalité, and fraternité. Tunisian director Abdel Kechiche follows the ups and downs of an Arab immigrant in Paris, as he joins a loose community of second generation North Africans who provide each other with the support needed to negotiate homeless shelters, illegal jobs, and assumed identities.

Thu Apr 3 7:30pm

My Favorite Season / Ma saison préférée
(1993, 125 min.)

When the aging matriarch of a French family (Marthe Villalong) moves in with her daughter (Catherine Deneuve) in the French countryside, they find that living together unearths unexpected secrets from the past.

Fri Apr 4 7:30pm

Birds of a Feather / La cage aux folles
(1978, 110 min.).

The original French film that inspired the inevitably less-than American remake (and musical) remains an inspired delight! Ugo Tognazzi and Michel Serraut play two perfectly happy gay men living in St. Tropez... until their son announces he's getting married to a woman who doesn't understand the "complexities" of his home life.

Sat Apr 5 2:30pm

Beauty and the Beast / La belle et la bête
(1947, 96 min.)

Jean Cocteau's visual masterpiece of the well-known fairy tale is also a sly commentary on the gaping chasm of unknowability between most couples who dare to fall in love. Children (who are old enough to read subtitles) will also love this magical and unique film.

Sat Apr 5 7:30pm

Madame Lise's Class / La classe de madame Lise
(2007, 90 min.).

Sylvie Groulx spent an entire school year filming and getting to know one class of first grade students in a multi-ethnic neighborhood in Montreal. With the commitment and patience of teacher Madame Lise, Rafik, Solace, Rahat, Jessica and Adonay take on the challenge of learning French - and living together with tolerance and understanding.

Doors open at 7:00 for a closing reception.

Apr 6 2:30pm,7:30pm
Apr 7-8 7:30pm

PERSEPOLIS
(France, 2007) 95 min

Marjane Satrapi is an Iranian comic book artist - and now filmmaker - who uses animation to illustrate her coming of age, first under the corrupt Shah, followed by repressive mullahs. A natural rebel, Marjane is sent to live in Vienna, where her love for punk music can’t erase her longing for home. The daughter is voiced by Chiara Mastroianni, her mother is portrayed by Mastroianni’s real mother, Catherine Deneuve. As the grandmother, Danielle Darrieux (to quote A.O.Scott of the New York Times) “...is a source of humor, advice and moral guidance, and an embodiment of the film’s no-nonsense feminism.” Academy Award® nomination, Best Animated Feature Film. Website.

Opens Friday, April 18

Caramel (France/Lebanon, 2007) 95 min.

In Beirut, five women meet regularly in a beauty salon, a colorful and sensual microcosm of the city where several generations come into contact, talk and confide in each other. Layale loves Rabih, but Rabih is married. Nisrine is Muslim and her forthcoming marriage poses a problem; she is no longer a virgin. Rima is tormented by her attraction to women and especially to a lovely client with long hair. Jamale is refusing to grow old. Rose has sacrificed her life to take care of her elderly sister. In the salon, their intimate and liberated conversations revolve around men, sex and motherhood, between haircuts and sugar waxing with caramel.

Opens Fri. May 16

The Witnesses
(France, 2007) 112 min.

The time is 1984. The place is Paris. A young, handsome man (Johan Libéreau) arrives and strikes up a platonic relationship with a wealthy doctor, Adrien (Michel Blanc), who exposes him to Sarah (Emmanuelle Beart) and Mehdi (Sami Bouajila), a young couple who have just had their first child. An unplanned love affair at the onset of a new, unnamed epidemic upsets the tranquility of their lives.

Opens Fri. May 23

Voyage of the Red Balloon

Suzanne (Juliette Binoche) is charming but she is a mother snowed under by obligations. With her puppet shows, the classes she teaches and the two children, Simon and Louise, that she has been raising alone since their father left, she hasn't got a minute to herself. To help her, she takes in a young Taiwanese babysitter, Song Fang, who is a student at Paris University.

Opens Fri. July 27

Jellyfish
(Israel/France, 2007) 78 min.

Winner of the Camera d’Or at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival Poignant, often witty and exceedingly cinematic, JELLYFISH (MEDUZOT), tells the story of three very different Tel Aviv women whose intersecting stories weave an unlikely portrait of modern Israeli life. As this distaff trio separately wends their way through Israel’s most cosmopolitan city, they struggle with issues of communication, affection and destiny—but at times find uneasy refuge in its tranquil seas.

Coming Soon

Water Lilies (La Naissance des Pieuvres)

It's summer and the girl’s winning synchronized swimming team is in full swing at the vast municipal swimming pool and social hub in the Paris suburb of Cergy. And it’s here that Floriane (Adele Haenel), a shapely blonde with come-hither looks, is a valued performer and star of the social set. And, although Marie (Pauline Acquart), isn't on the team, is small for her age and flat-chested, she becomes Floriane's confidante and cover for the budding siren's assignations, often at the expense of Marie's best friend, Anne (Louise Blachere).

Apr 26 2:00pm

Monet's Water Lilies
(2007. France. 45 min. Not Rated.)

This documentary explores the iconic life-size panels of water lilies painted by Claude Monet during World War I that are now on display at the Musee de L'Orangerie in Paris. Director Judith Wechsler will be present for the screening! Directed by Judith Wechsler in collaboration with Jean-Paul Fargier.

April 3

Comme une Image (Look at Me)
Agnès Jaoui, 2004
Workshop in French at 6:00 “Tools for Teaching a film in a language class”
(.3 CEUs available with screening)
by Françoise Schneider, Senior Lector:French Department

April 11

Daratt
Mahamat Saleh Haroun, 2006

April 18

Stupeur et Tremblement (Fear and Trembling)
Alain Corneau, 2003
Workshop in English at 6:00 by Film Studies
“Techniques for Analyzing a Film”
(.3 CEUs available with screening)

April 24

Le Grand Voyage
Ismael Ferroukhi, 2004

April 29

Mondevino
Jonathan Nossiter, 2004

The Tournées Festival, a program of FACE (French American Cultural Exchange), is made possible with the support of the French Ministry of Foreign & European Affairs, the Centre National de la Cinématographie, the Florence Gould Foundation, the Grand Marnier Foundation, highbrow entertainment, agnès b. and the Fonds cultural franco-américain (the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association, SACEM and the Writers Guild of America). For more information on FACE programs, please visit www.facecouncil.org

Alliance Française de Hartford
French Films in the Hartford area

9th Annual French and Francophone Film Festival!

*Please note that both Cinéstudio and Real Art Ways give discounted admission to A/F members. Bring your membership card!*

Cinéstudio at Trinity College 300 Summit Street, Hartford (860) 297-2463
9th Annual French and Francophone Film Festival!
Sun Mar 30 2:30pm	The Marriage Circle (1920, 80 min.) A silent film (and live piano accompaniment by Patrick Miller), this year's little-seen classic is an elegant, ironic comedy starring French actor Adolph Menjou, whose suspicions about the fidelity of his Jazz Age flapper wife (Marie Prevost) insidiously infects their circle of married friends. Lubitsch slyly asks if everyone is capable of adultery. What, apr s tout, is the point of marriage? A coffee and pastry reception follows this opening film.
Sun Mar 30 7:30pm	Lady Chatterley
Mon Mar 31 7:30pm	The Cat / Le chat (1971, 97 min.). Simone Signoret (Les Diaboliques) and Jean Gabin (Grand Illusion) - together in a wonderfully dark comedy. Signoret and Gabin portray a married couple for whom living together for 25 years has brought more misery than hearts and flowers.The only way they communicate is by addressing their conversation to a stray cat, beloved by Gabin detested by Signoret.
Tue Apr 1 7:30pm	Stolen Kisses / Baisers volés (1968, 90 min.). With Paris of the 1960s providing a magical backdrop, François Truffaut's bittersweet comedy about the shaky relationship of young lovers is the third in his Antoine Doinel series starring Jean-Pierre Léaud of The 400 Blows.
Wed Apr 2 7:30pm	Blame It on Voltaire / La faute à Voltaire (2000, 130 min.) An unsparing look at life on the margins in the land of liberté, égalité, and fraternité. Tunisian director Abdel Kechiche follows the ups and downs of an Arab immigrant in Paris, as he joins a loose community of second generation North Africans who provide each other with the support needed to negotiate homeless shelters, illegal jobs, and assumed identities.
Thu Apr 3 7:30pm	My Favorite Season / Ma saison préférée (1993, 125 min.) When the aging matriarch of a French family (Marthe Villalong) moves in with her daughter (Catherine Deneuve) in the French countryside, they find that living together unearths unexpected secrets from the past.
Fri Apr 4 7:30pm	Birds of a Feather / La cage aux folles (1978, 110 min.). The original French film that inspired the inevitably less-than American remake (and musical) remains an inspired delight! Ugo Tognazzi and Michel Serraut play two perfectly happy gay men living in St. Tropez... until their son announces he's getting married to a woman who doesn't understand the "complexities" of his home life.
Sat Apr 5 2:30pm	Beauty and the Beast / La belle et la bête (1947, 96 min.) Jean Cocteau's visual masterpiece of the well-known fairy tale is also a sly commentary on the gaping chasm of unknowability between most couples who dare to fall in love. Children (who are old enough to read subtitles) will also love this magical and unique film.
Sat Apr 5 7:30pm	Madame Lise's Class / La classe de madame Lise (2007, 90 min.). Sylvie Groulx spent an entire school year filming and getting to know one class of first grade students in a multi-ethnic neighborhood in Montreal. With the commitment and patience of teacher Madame Lise, Rafik, Solace, Rahat, Jessica and Adonay take on the challenge of learning French - and living together with tolerance and understanding. Doors open at 7:00 for a closing reception.
Apr 6 2:30pm,7:30pm Apr 7-8 7:30pm	PERSEPOLIS (France, 2007) 95 min Marjane Satrapi is an Iranian comic book artist - and now filmmaker - who uses animation to illustrate her coming of age, first under the corrupt Shah, followed by repressive mullahs. A natural rebel, Marjane is sent to live in Vienna, where her love for punk music can’t erase her longing for home. The daughter is voiced by Chiara Mastroianni, her mother is portrayed by Mastroianni’s real mother, Catherine Deneuve. As the grandmother, Danielle Darrieux (to quote A.O.Scott of the New York Times) “...is a source of humor, advice and moral guidance, and an embodiment of the film’s no-nonsense feminism.” Academy Award® nomination, Best Animated Feature Film. Website.

RealArtWays Cinema 56 Arbor Street, Hartford (860) 232-1006
Opens Friday, April 18	Caramel (France/Lebanon, 2007) 95 min. In Beirut, five women meet regularly in a beauty salon, a colorful and sensual microcosm of the city where several generations come into contact, talk and confide in each other. Layale loves Rabih, but Rabih is married. Nisrine is Muslim and her forthcoming marriage poses a problem; she is no longer a virgin. Rima is tormented by her attraction to women and especially to a lovely client with long hair. Jamale is refusing to grow old. Rose has sacrificed her life to take care of her elderly sister. In the salon, their intimate and liberated conversations revolve around men, sex and motherhood, between haircuts and sugar waxing with caramel.
Opens Fri. May 16	The Witnesses (France, 2007) 112 min. The time is 1984. The place is Paris. A young, handsome man (Johan Libéreau) arrives and strikes up a platonic relationship with a wealthy doctor, Adrien (Michel Blanc), who exposes him to Sarah (Emmanuelle Beart) and Mehdi (Sami Bouajila), a young couple who have just had their first child. An unplanned love affair at the onset of a new, unnamed epidemic upsets the tranquility of their lives.
Opens Fri. May 23	Voyage of the Red Balloon Suzanne (Juliette Binoche) is charming but she is a mother snowed under by obligations. With her puppet shows, the classes she teaches and the two children, Simon and Louise, that she has been raising alone since their father left, she hasn't got a minute to herself. To help her, she takes in a young Taiwanese babysitter, Song Fang, who is a student at Paris University.
Opens Fri. July 27	Jellyfish (Israel/France, 2007) 78 min. Winner of the Camera d’Or at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival Poignant, often witty and exceedingly cinematic, JELLYFISH (MEDUZOT), tells the story of three very different Tel Aviv women whose intersecting stories weave an unlikely portrait of modern Israeli life. As this distaff trio separately wends their way through Israel’s most cosmopolitan city, they struggle with issues of communication, affection and destiny—but at times find uneasy refuge in its tranquil seas.
Coming Soon	Water Lilies (La Naissance des Pieuvres) It's summer and the girl’s winning synchronized swimming team is in full swing at the vast municipal swimming pool and social hub in the Paris suburb of Cergy. And it’s here that Floriane (Adele Haenel), a shapely blonde with come-hither looks, is a valued performer and star of the social set. And, although Marie (Pauline Acquart), isn't on the team, is small for her age and flat-chested, she becomes Floriane's confidante and cover for the budding siren's assignations, often at the expense of Marie's best friend, Anne (Louise Blachere).

Wadsworth Atheneum Film Series 600 Main Street Hartford, CT 06103 (860) 278-2670, ext. 3142
Apr 26 2:00pm	Monet's Water Lilies (2007. France. 45 min. Not Rated.) This documentary explores the iconic life-size panels of water lilies painted by Claude Monet during World War I that are now on display at the Musee de L'Orangerie in Paris. Director Judith Wechsler will be present for the screening! Directed by Judith Wechsler in collaboration with Jean-Paul Fargier.

TOURNEES FILM FESTIVAL YALE UNIVERSITY Sponsored by the French Department, Film Studies and PIER at Yale. Screenings in 35 mm at 7:00 p.m. All films and workshops at 212 York Street. Free and open to the public. Films in French with English subtitles.
April 3	Comme une Image (Look at Me) Agnès Jaoui, 2004 Workshop in French at 6:00 “Tools for Teaching a film in a language class” (.3 CEUs available with screening) by Françoise Schneider, Senior Lector:French Department
April 11	Daratt Mahamat Saleh Haroun, 2006
April 18	Stupeur et Tremblement (Fear and Trembling) Alain Corneau, 2003 Workshop in English at 6:00 by Film Studies “Techniques for Analyzing a Film” (.3 CEUs available with screening)
April 24	Le Grand Voyage Ismael Ferroukhi, 2004
April 29	Mondevino Jonathan Nossiter, 2004
The Tournées Festival, a program of FACE (French American Cultural Exchange), is made possible with the support of the French Ministry of Foreign & European Affairs, the Centre National de la Cinématographie, the Florence Gould Foundation, the Grand Marnier Foundation, highbrow entertainment, agnès b. and the Fonds cultural franco-américain (the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association, SACEM and the Writers Guild of America). For more information on FACE programs, please visit www.facecouncil.org

Alliance Française de Hartford French Films in the Hartford area

9th Annual French and Francophone Film Festival!

Alliance Française de Hartford
French Films in the Hartford area