‘Bonjour Cinema’ the annual film festival of cinematic creations from French speaking countries will be held for the sixth successive year from March 30 to April 3 at the Punchi Theatre, Borella.
A selection of 9 films from Belgium, Switzerland and France will be showcased at the festival which will have daily screenings at 2.30 pm for children and at 4.30pm and 7pm for adult film goers.
All the films represent the social and moral concerns of contemporary directors as well as the diversity and the creativity of the French speaking countries in the field of movie-making.
The festival screens two children’silms ‘Les enfants de Timpelbach’ (The Children of Timpelbach) which will be screened at 2.30 pm on March 30, April 1 and 3. and the Swiss film ‘Microcosmos’. ‘Microcosmos’ 1996 which will be screened at 2.30 pm on March 31 and April 2.
Seven films for adults are ‘Joueuse’ (Queen to play) a comedy on a middle-aged chambermaid Hélène who finds obsession with the game of chess. The film will be screened at 7 pm on April 3. ‘L’heure zéro’ (Towards Zero), 2007 film from France will be screened at 7pm on March 31. When Guillaume has the bizarre idea of inviting his ex-wife Aude to a family reunion at the luxurious coastal estate of his wealthy Aunt Camilla, his tempestuous new wife Caroline becomes filled with rage. ‘La promesse’, a Belgian film is about Igor and his father, Roger who are making a decent living renting apartments to illegal immigrants and sometimes working them illegally (among other scams). The film will be screened at 4.30 pm on April 1.
Another Belgian film ‘L’enfant’ (The child) tells the story of Bruno and Sonia who are boy friend and girl friend, playful, immature. She’s still in her teens; they chase each other, share cigarettes, spray sodas and wrestle. Everything changes when tthey have a new baby. It will be screened at 4.30 pm on March 31 and 7 pm on April 2.
‘Les petites couleurs’, 2002 Swiss film will be screened at 4.30 pm on April 2. It revolves around Christelle, a hairdresser whose husband beats her and runs away after a violent quarrel. She ends up in a dilapidated motel called the Galaxy, frequented by truck drivers and travelling salesmen. Mona, the owner, a lovable and bubbly widow, takes Christelle under her wing and helps her to rekindle an interest in life.
‘Déchainées’ (Unleashed), 2009 a Swiss film screened at 7pm on April 1, narrates the story of nineteen-year-old Lucie who discovers that her grandmother was a notorious, militant feminist in Geneva during the1970s before being suddenly erased from the familyhistory. Lucie sets out on a search for her.
‘Opération Casablanca’ another Switzerland, to be screened at 4.30 pm on April 3 is the story of Saadi. One day, Saadi finally snaps. His boss has mistreated him one time too many. But when the young dishwasher, a North African illegal immigrant dares to protest, he is summarily fired. The film festival is organized by the Alliance Française de Kotte, together with the Consulate of Belgium, Embassy of France and Switzerland in Colombo. All the films are subtitled in English and entrance is free. These films are also scheduled to be screened at Alliance Françaises in Kandy, Matara and Jaffna in future. |
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