You cannot take France out of cinema nor the cinema out of France. French filmmakers were among the pioneers, and from the very start in silent films to the ‘new wave’ and since, the movies have always been intrinsic to French culture.
Today as filmmakers scramble to be cutting edge, digital technology can often drive what we see on screen at the expense of stories about real people. It is this humanist tradition that we can count on at the French Film Festival every year.
Juliette Binoche and Guillaune Canet in Non-Fiction
Highlights of the exciting and diverse program of 54 films include the latest from celebrated directors, like The Sisters Brothers (Jacques Audiard), High Life (Claire Denis), Non-Fiction (Olivier Assayas), By the Grace of God (Francois Ozon), and The Image Book (Jean-Luc Godard). And there is a retrospective of Alain Resnais’ avant-garde classic, Last Year at Marienbad.
Otherwise you might home in on the latest films from exciting new talent like Amanda (Mikhael Hers), In Safe Hands/Pupille (Jeanne Herry), and thrillers Knife + Heart (Yann Gonzales) and Revenge (Coralie Fargeat).
Then again, there are plenty of opportunities to laugh with comedies that address various personal crises light-heartedly, such as Sink or Swim, Kiss & Tell and The Trouble With You, or you can simply share the joy of the music festival in Le Grand Bal.
Each to his own.
Alliance Francaise French Film Festival is screening across Australia from 7 March to 10 April. In Canberra, the AFFFF is hosted by Palace Electric Cinema, New Acton