‘Amelie’ at Alliance Francaise

'The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain' (Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain), an award winning French drama will be screened on Tuesday, May 13 at 3 pm and Wednesday May 14 at 6.30 pm at the Alliance Francaise.

Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and starring Audrey Tautou this 2001 film written by Jeunet with Guillaume Laurant, the film is a whimsical and somewhat idealised depiction of contemporary Parisian life, set in Montmartre. It tells the story of a painfully shy waitress who decides to change the lives of those around her for the better, while struggling with her own isolation.

Amelie Poulain is a young wide-eyed, cheery woman who sees the world in a magical light, discovering minor miracles every day. Amelie was raised by a pair of eccentrics who falsely diagnosed her with a heart problem at the age of six and so limited her exposure to the outside world. Now a free and independent woman, Amelie entertains herself by enacting a series of homemade, kindhearted practical jokes. But when the day is done, Amelie finds one stone unturned, and decides to work her magic on the quirky object of her affections, Nino Quincampoix, whom she has never met.

The film won best film at the European Film Awards; it won four César Awards (including Best Film and Best Director), two BAFTA Awards (including Best Original Screenplay), and was nominated for five Academy Awards.