Perth welcomes back the much-loved Alliance Française French Film Festival and this year’s films offer a bit of everything from a classic re-imagined and French box office hits, to family flicks and compelling dramas.
By Ara Jansen
What do the Netflix hits Emily in Paris and mystery series Lupin, last year’s Paris Olympics and the recent win of a Grammy for French metal band Gojira for their opening ceremony performance have in common?
They have all sparked an increased interest in France and all things French, whether it’s beautiful scenery, a tourism boost, music, food, language lessons or Emily and Mindy’s endlessly chic wardrobes paraded in iconic locations.
Alliance Française de Perth general manager Thomas Feldstein hopes that regard and curiosity translates into a new audience coming to this year’s Alliance Française French Film Festival.
“The festival is a great way for us to reach a different audience,” Thomas said.
“It enables us to go wider than just our students. I love being able to meet up with new people and discuss the films.”
He adds that one of the joys of his job is to be able to see and discuss each year’s movies.
“It’s amazing to see how French cinema is so beloved by Australian audiences. Every year I have been struck and amazed by this. I meet so many people who don’t speak French but just love the culture or want to enjoy the scenery on the big screen. It’s so heartwarming.”
Because of his job with Alliance, it has been 13 years since Thomas left France. While he has visited, he says the festival comforts the part of him that misses home. Thomas’ four-year term in Perth is up later this year and he and his family will be landing in the Loire Valley, the first time his kids will be living in France.
Each year the festival reminds us that French cinema loves a good story. Whether it’s the biopics of Monsieur Aznavour or The Divine Sarah Bernhardt, the reimagining of the Dumas classic The Count of Monte Cristo or the very real drama of a young courier waiting for his all-important and life-changing residency interview in The Story of Souleymane.
“The festival movies cover a lot of topics, many of them universal but there are many which are also uniquely French, or things French cinema likes to explore.”
There are 42 films to see this year including Cannes highlights, screen sirens, impossibly true stories and France’s biggest box office hits.
They also love a good classic. The Count of Monte Cristo, based on the 1844 novel, is the 11th retelling and it includes two miniseries and countless other movies based on or around the story. This thrilling new adaptation of Le Comte de Monte Cristo sold 10 million tickets in France.
That contrasts with the tasty, heartwarming and fun for all, All Stirred Up! (Tous Toques) as Victor, a French chef, has the contents of his car confiscated at the Quebec/US border by an unyielding customs officer. The officer must then enlist Victor’s help for her daughter to win a cooking competition, despite barely being able to cook.
The Alliance Française French Film Festival runs from 13 March – 16 April in Perth at Palace Raine Square, Luna Outdoor, Luna on SX, Luna Leederville and Windsor Cinema. Selected films will also be screened in Bunbury from 10-13 April.
Want more news, clinicals, features and guest columns delivered straight to you? Subscribe for free to WA’s only independent magazine for medical practitioners.
Want to submit an article? Email editor@mforum.com.au