All showings are sub-titled in English.
All showings are FREE except for L'ivresse du pouvoir, which is $3 (in partnership with
OFFScreen)
Les amants réguliers (2004)
Regular Lovers
Regular Lovers takes place in 1968 France, portraying the 1968 student
revolt and its aftermath. After the revolt's defeat, the movie follows a developing bohemian community and centers on the relationship of two of its members, Louis and Lilie. The film avoids sensationalizing or dwelling nostalgically on the events of 1968, instead offering a glimpse of that exact moment, full of youth and uncertainty: "it was still uncertain whether they had been permanently defeated or were they just stoking the flames within -- too early to gauge whether idealism would survive such a crushing defeat".
Th. 14 Feb., 6:00pm, Wilson 402 Auditorium (map)
Dir: Philippe Garrel, 178 min.
Speaker: Christopher James, French Department
Les amitiés maléfiques (2006)
Poison Friends
Poison Friends follows the lives of three impressionable students of literature at the Sorbonne, who are deeply influenced by a charismatic classmate, André. The three students' budding careers all develop in different ways, which cause them to face -- and suffer -- the reactions of their new mentor. However, when André turns out to be much different from what he presents to his protégés, they all must face the prospect of standing on their own and finding their own success in life.
Fri. 15 Feb., 6:00pm, Wilson 402 Auditorium (map)
Dir: Emmanuel Bourdieu, 100 min.
Speaker: Ari Blatt, French Department
Au-delà de la haine (2005)
Beyond Hatred
In Beyond Hatred, a family copes with the murder of twenty-nine year-old François Chenu, trying to overcome feelings of hatred and desire for revenge. Skinheads killed the openly homosexual Chenu in a French public park in 2002, and the documentary seeks out all those involved in the incident in order to explore the themes of tolerance and intolerance. The documentary's director, Olivier Meyrou, succeeds in making his subjects forget the presence of the camera, and the lucid result is a moving and insightful film.
Sat. 16 Feb., 5:00pm, Wilson 402 Auditorium (map)
Dir: Olivier Meyrou, 86 min.
Speaker: Carlos Fagundo, French Department
Le plafond de verre (2004)
The Glass Ceiling
Extending the metaphor commonly used to discuss the place of women in the workplace, The Glass Ceiling examines the challenges facing the immigrant population in France. The documentary follows several qualified job applicants who react to the discrimination they face in varying ways: some by fighting for their rights and others by acquiescing and accepting a lower-level position. Benguigui's film is not only anecdotal, seeking out experts to diagnose and explain the deeply-rooted causes of discrimination in France today.
Sat. 16 Feb., 7:30pm, Wilson 402 Auditorium (map)
Dir: Yamina Benguigui, 52 min.
Speaker: Majida Bargach, French Department
L'ivresse du pouvoir (2006)
Comedy of Power
In Comedy of Power, Claude Chabrol -- France's master of suspense -- directs a thriller that centers around a magistrate who, in the process of preparing for a high-profile corporate case, discovers her seemingly limitless power over the players involved. As she begins to use this power, she faces the direct consequences of these actions, and as her search for the truth continues, the threats to her safety call into question firmly-entrenched traditions involving class and respect for authority.
Sun. 17 Feb., 7:00pm and 9:30pm, Newcomb Theater (map)
Dir: Claude Chabrol, 110 min.
Speaker: Cheryl Krueger, French Department (after 7:00 showing only).
With OFFScreen - showings are $3.