French Film Series

The Modern Languages and Literatures department presents the Fall 2004 French Film Series. Films will be shown in French with English subtitles on Tuesday evenings at 7:30 p.m. in Stein 102. This series is organized by Professor Laurence Enjolras.

"Presque rien" - ("Come Undone") September 7 2000 98 mn. Director: Sébastien Lifshitz, with Jérémie Elkaïm, Stéphane Rideau While vacationing at the beach in a sleepy, picturesque seaside resort with his depressed mother, nosy aunt and clingy sister, 18-year-old Mathieu meets local teen Cédric. Their initial friendship develops into a bond which grows stronger and stronger until it reaches a bittersweet conclusion. A coming-of-age story with melancholic undertones played with great sensitivity by the two lead actors, "Presque rien" beautifully captures the difficulties of juggling first love, family expectations and the hardship of life.

"Pièces d'identités"- ("Identity Pieces") September 21 1998 93 mn. Director: Mweze Ngangura with Gérard Essomba Many, Dominique Mesa, Jean-Louis Daulne Ngangura brings us a modern fairy tale set in the vibrant African emigré demi-monde of today's Europe. A venerable but naïve King, Mani Kongo, comes from Congo to Europe in search of his long-lost daughter whom he sent there to study medicine. As soon as he gets to Brussels, Europeans begin to victimize him until he is penniless, homeless and forced to pawn his royal regalia. His beautiful daughter has been victimized by a flashy-dressing pimp and is now forced to work as an "exotic dancer." Father and daughter are rescued by a mulatto cab-driver, who under the name "Savior of Humanity" holds up white bars like an African Robin Hood. "Pièces d'identités" raises some of the most troubling issue of identity facing all Africans in the ever-widening diaspora.

"Colonel Chabert" October 5 1992 111mn. Director: Yves Angelo with Gérard Depardieu, Fanny Ardant, Fabrice Luchini Each day, the same man shows up at a lawyer's office, disheveled and odd looking, asserting that he is the famous war hero Colonel Chabert. Chabert was assumed dead 10 years ago but this poor visitor insists he is him and he has survived behind enemy lines for those horrible years. After much insistence, the lawyer agrees to investigate his story. The consequences forever alter the life of the lawyer, the man and the wife of the supposedly dead Colonel Chabert. Based on the novel by Balzac.

"L'auberge espagnole" - ("The Spanish Apartment") October 19 2003 122 mn. Director: Cédric Klapisch with Romain Duris, Judith Godrèche, Cécile de France Xavier is a straight-laced French college senior who moves to Barcelona as part of a student exchange program, much to the dismay of his beautiful girlfriend Martine. But sharing cramped quarters with students from all over Europe quickly leads to multi-cultural chaos as Xavier gets a hilarious, eye-opening lesson on how to live, love, laugh…and party!

"Madame Bovary" November 2 1991 130 mn. Director: Claude Chabrol with Isabelle Huppert, Jean-François Balmer, Christophe Malavoy Set in 19-century France, Emma Bovary tells the story of the romantic daughter of a country squire possessed by a burning hunger for life and love, and a passion that can never be fulfilled. Feeling trapped in her loveless and dull marriage, Emma indulges herself in a lifestyle of reckless overspending and a series of skocking affairs which lead to her ultimate destruction. Award-winning actress Isabelle Huppert gives a superb performance as the beautiful Emma. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design, director Claude Chabrol has created a visually-stunning, brilliantly-acted masterpiece from the classic novel by Gustave Flaubert.

"Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain" - ("Amélie") November 16 2001 122 mn. Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet with Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Claire Maurier Amélie, a painfully shy waitress working at a tiny Paris café, makes a surprising discovery and sees her life drastically changed for the better. From then on, Amélie dedicates herself to helping others find happiness in the most delightfully unexpected ways. But will she have the courage to do for herself what she has done for others? Winner of numerous awards (Best Foreign Language Film, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Art Direction), this magical comedy met overwhelming international acclaim.

"Dieu est grand, je suis toute petite" - ("God is Great and I Am Not") November 30 2001 95 mn. Director: Pascale Bailly with Audrey Tautou, Edouard Baer, Julie Depardieu Things can only improve for Michèle and François after their one-night stand ends with her suicide attempt. The aspiring "top model" turns to religion to find meaning in her life. When she learns that François is Jewish, she becomes obsessed with Judaism, but her attempts to convert confound the non-practicing François and his family. This charmingly unorthodox romantic comedy is as unpredictable as love itself.

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# Modern Languages and Literatures Department