French film lovers are in for a treat. Instead of scouring TCM for movies from venerated masters likes Louis Malle, Francois Truffaut, and Eric Rohmer, they can see some of the best new films from up-and-coming filmmakers from France in an upcoming series.
From April 5-8 and 13-15, the Cinematheque (1131 Howe St.) presents Young French Cinema 2018. The program includes independent films, comedies, and documentaries, all from emerging filmmakers.
Half of the films are directed by women, and settings range from Europe to Asia to Africa. All are Vancouver premieres. See below to find out more about the selections.
Before Summer Ends (Avant la fin de l’été) (2017)—Maryam Goormaghtigh chronicles a summer in the life of three Iranian students. “If Jim Jarmusch’s Stranger Than Paradise had been transplanted to the south of France, the result would be something like Before Summer Ends,” according to Hollywood Reporter.
Diamond Island (2016)—A young man discovers his long-lost brother in rapidly-developing Phnom Penh. The Museum of Modern Art calls writer-director Davy Chou’s coming-of-age tale “An intoxicating blend of naturalism and dreamy stylization, rendering the ecstasies and agonies of late youth with remarkable attention to detail.”
Madeza Chhem in Diamond Island (2016).
Heaven Will Wait (Le ciel attendra) (2016)—Online predators and the radicalization of teenage girls by online predators is the subject of this film from Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar. The Toronto International Film Festival’s Piers Handling writes that the film is “Uncompromising and emotionally poignant … Mention-Schaar handles tricky material with great sensitivity.”
Montparnasse Bienvenue (Jeune femme) (2017)—Léonor Serraille’s debut feature won this year’s Caméra d’Or at Cannes. According to a Hollywood Reporter review, “… it should help consolidate the reputation of its leading lady, Age of Panic’s Laetitia Dosch, whose profile in the French indie scene has been growing but who hasn’t managed to cross over into the mainstream.”
Kiss Me! (Embrasse moi!) (2017)—French comedian and singer Océanerosemarie plays a fun-loving osteopath who meets the woman of her life in this “sparkling and touching feature, performed by a hilarious band of comedians” (Le Parisien).
Paris Prestige (Les derniers Parisiens) (2016)—The first feature by two members of the French rap group La Rumeur offers an insider’s Paris-by-night portrait of Pigalle. “There’s a biting poetry, a fierce energy, a charge of raw emotion in this film. Above all, it has a rare quality: it has soul,” according to La Nouvel Observateur.
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Speak Up (A voix haute : La force de la parole) (2017)—According to Hollywood Reporter, “Director Stephane de Freitas’ documentary follows a group of college students partaking in an annual oratory competition in the suburbs of Paris.” Presented in conjunction with Reel 2 Reel International Film Festival for Youth.
A scene from the documentary Speak Up.
Wùlu (2016)—A minibus driver turns to smuggling drugs between Mali and neighboring countries in writer-director Daouda Coulibaly’s thriller. “An auspicious debut … A constantly absorbing thriller, delivered with a pulse-pounding thrust … Coulibaly is a promising and intriguing new voice,” according to Variety.
Young French Cinema 2018 is a co-presentation between Cinematheque, UniFrance and the Cultural Services of the French Embassy. For screen times and tickets visit thecinematheque.ca.
