“Bonjour Cinéma!”, a film festival from entertaining cinematic gems from French speaking countries Switzerland, Belgium and France will be screened from June 16 to 24 at the BMICH – BCIS Lecture Hall.
Francophone Film Festival, a part of ‘French Spring in Sri Lanka’ is the seventh edition of its’ kind and the festival is a much awaited annual event among the cinema lovers in the country. Under the theme of ‘French Spring’, the festival showcases critically acclaimed films from three countries which have become the main contributors to the 2012 festival.
The festival will be opened with “Chatrak” directed by Vimukthi Jayasundara, one of the leading avant-garde film directors in the country. The film which is screened for the first time in Sri Lanka was selected in 2011 at the “Quinzaine des réalisateurs” of the Cannes Film Festival 2011.
Vimukthi’s film revolves around a Bengali architect, Rahul who had gone off to build a career in Dubai, returns to Kolkata to begin a huge construction site. He is reunited with his girlfriend, Paoli, who had long awaited his homecoming, living alone far from her family. Together, they try to find Rahul’s brother, who is said to have gone mad, living in the forest and sleeping in the trees. Despite appearances, the two brothers might have a lot in common.
The next film ‘On Your Bike!’ (Une Chaine Pour Deux), a Belgium comedy is how a young executive works on the restructure of a bicycle factory by creating a competition in making up two teams from the same factory. It will be screened on June 16 at 2 pm, June 17 Sunday at 4 pm and June 22 Friday at 6 pm.
Then follows a French drama ‘The Princess of Montpensier’ (La Princesse De Montpendier) directed by Bertrand Tavernier is set against the savage Catholic/Protestant wars that ripped France apart in the 16th century. Based on a novel by the celebrated writer, Madame de Lafayette the film will be screened at 6 pm on Monday June 18 and 4 pm on Friday June 22.
The movie is for the adult audience. ‘Louise Michel’ a French comedy is the next that tells about a factory with workers planning to liquidate the boss yet it turns other way around will be shown at 4 pm on June 16 and 21 and at 6 pm on June 23. ‘Hands Up’ (Les Mains en Lair) another French drama set for the future March 22, 2067 is centred around Milana who recalls what happened to her about 60 years ago. It is to be screened at 2 pm on June 17 and at 6 pm on June 19.
‘The Heir’ (Lheritier), is a Swiss movie about a young African, Vico who inherits an alpine pasture in Gruyere. It screens on June 17 at 6 pm and June 19 at 4 pm. ‘Do Not Panic’ (Pas De Panique), another Swiss film about a Ludovic Chambercy who succeed his father as the head of the family business but gets panicking and is unable to face his new duties. The films for the adult audience will be screened at 4 pm on June 18, 6 pm on June 21 and 4 pm on June 23.
The festival also include two children film ‘Mia Et Le Migou’ at 11 am on June 17 and 2 pm on June 23 and ‘Mas and Co’ on June 16 at 11 am and on June 23 at 11 am.
During the film festival, award winning Sri Lankan short films will be screened before the feature film begins. Each of these short films won an award at the Agenda 14 Short Film Festival held in Colombo in 2011. |
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