As the festival is now upon us in Melbourne anyway, I’m sticking it up the front of Troppo for a while for your delectation. Below is a timetable of the French Film Festival in Melbourne together with a table of the films rating better than most. I hope it helps you get to see a film. And if you want to find the films in cities other than Melbourne, then feel free to hightail it to the festival website.
Top Picks
Friends from France | ????? |
Going Away | ????? |
Jules and Jim | ????? |
Me, Myself and Mum | ????? |
Our Heroes Died Tonight | ????? |
The 400 Blows | ????? |
Venus in Fur | ????? |
Melbourne Schedule
@Palace Cinema Como
Wednesday 5 March
7:00pm The Finishers (Opening Night)
Wheelchair-bound teenager Julien is the apple of his mother’s eye, but he yearns for the approval of his brooding and bitter father, Paul. With his youth as an iron-man champion behind him, Paul distances himself from his disabled son. When Julien suggests the seemingly crazy idea that they join forces to compete in a triathlon in Nice, an incredible journey of persistence and determination begins.
Thursday 6 March
1:30pm Under The Rainbow
Laura has always dreamed of the perfect fairy tale romance. When she meets an aspiring composer, Sandro, she knows straight away that he is her prince charming. But what happens in the fairy tale when prince number two appears?
4:15pm Mademoiselle C.
As one of the most revered doyens of modern fashion, Carine Roitfeld’s tenure as editor-in-chief at Vogue Paris defined a new age of French fashion. Following Carine Roitfeld as she embarks on the launch of her new magazine, the documentary Mademoiselle C. is a delicious immersion in the glamorous world of the catwalk.
6:45pm Jules and Jim
The story of two friends, Jules and Jim in the whirlwind era of La Belle Époque. The two men enjoy a Bohemian life, but when they are both captivated by the capricious Catherine, a complicated struggle between love and friendship begins.
9:00pm Me, Myself and Mum
It deals with the relationship between Guillaume, and his overbearing mother, who brings him up as an effeminate boy while his two siblings bond with his macho father and go off on rugby weekends. Guillaume indulges in more gentle pursuits, such as a holiday in Spain where he is taught to dance-except he learns all the female moves to much hilarity from the assembled company.
Friday 7 March
1:30pm Camille Claudel 1915
Troubled sculptress Camille Claudel has been confined to an asylum for two years following the collapse of her affair with fellow artist, Auguste Rodin. Isolated from the outside world, she pleads the case for her sanity with doctors. A visit from her pious brother Paul seems to hold the hope for her release, but first he must be persuaded that she isn’t possessed by the devil.
4:15pm 2 Autumns, 3 Winters
Thirty-three year old Aman decides to start his new life with an evening jog-and literally runs into the love of his life, Amélie. Aman’s best friend Benjamin suffers from a mild stroke-which leads him to physical therapist Katia. So begins this fresh and surprising comedy about love, accidents and memories.
6:45pm It Boy
Beautiful and talented Alice is in her late thirties, with her sights set on the top job at the haute couture fashion magazine, Rebelle. Unfortunately her uptight attitude makes her boss Vincent doubt she has what it takes. However when she meets the 20-year-old Balthazar, a chain of misunderstandings suddenly finds her with a newfound cougar persona that changes her image, and her career chances, for the better.
9:00pm Populaire
Set in the late 1950s, Populaire‘s heroine is Rose Pamphyle, a girl who lives with her widowed father, but yearns for so much more than the aimless life her inevitable marriage to the local mechanic’s son promises. Travelling out of her small town in Normandy in search of a job, she is interviewed by an insurance agent: the suave, driven Louis Échard, who discovers she possesses an unworldly ability to type. Once a gifted boxer and runner, Louis now becomes Rose’s coach and soon begins preparing her for the world speed typing championships in New-York.
Saturday 8 March
12:15pm La Monique, a Caledonian Wound
On the night of July 3rd, 1953, the ship La Monique vanished between the New Caledonia islands of Maré and Grande Terre. The wreck, and its 126 passengers, were never found. This powerful story remains relevant today for the people of this pacific island paradise.
1:45pm Belle and Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian is set high in the snowy Alps during the Second World War. The resourceful Sebastian is a lonely boy who tames and befriends a giant, wild mountain dog, Belle-even though the villagers believe her to be ‘the beast’ that has been killing their sheep.
4:15pm Domestic Life
How does a modern woman balance the demands of family and career? The film is a critical yet sympathetic depiction of 24 hours in the lives of several women. Stifled by her unimaginative husband, Juliette struggles with the demands of home and yearns to work in a publishing house.
6:45pm Folies Bergère
Long married 50-somethings Brigitte and Xavier are prize cattle breeders in regional France. Life is good, but the departure of their children from home has thrown Brigitte’s world into flux, as she finds herself locked into routine. She keeps hoping for something else, something more.
9:00pm The Finishers
Wheelchair-bound teenager Julien is the apple of his mother’s eye, but he yearns for the approval of his brooding and bitter father, Paul. With his youth as an iron-man champion behind him, Paul distances himself from his disabled son. When Julien suggests the seemingly crazy idea that they join forces to compete in a triathlon in Nice, an incredible journey of persistence and determination begins.
Sunday 9 March
12:15pm And Sail to the Australes
Come aboard the good ship Tuhaa Pae II, which served the Austral Islands for 32 years by ferrying vital food, goods and freight. In Gil Breussail’s beautifully shot and informative documentary you will meet the beloved ship’s crew, learn how one vessel played an important role in a changing society, and see life today among the colorful harbors and far-flung, sun-drenched archipelagos of the Pacific.
1:45pm Billy and Buddy
Billy is a red-coated cocker spaniel waiting for a new master at the pound. Buddy is a young red-headed boy looking for a pet. When they meet it’s the beginning of a wonderful friendship and a hilarious adventure. It’s also the beginning of a lot of trouble for Billy’s parents!
4:15pm Bright Days Ahead
When Caroline retires she finds that her new found freedom quickly turns to boredom. Taking the plunge and joining a seniors’ club, she strikes up a relationship with a young computer science teacher and local ladies’ man, Julien, who is half her age. This soon turns into a passionate amour fou, complicated by their age difference, Caroline’s marriage and Julien’s string of other lovers.
6:45pm Venus in Fur
Thomas Novachek is struggling to cast the lead in his theatrical production of the notorious Sacher-Masoch novella of the title. As if on cue, the abrasive and brash Vanda appears at the auditions. With the play already memorized and an unnerving way of completely inhabiting the dominatrix role, Vanda casts an intoxicating spell on Thomas that spirals into a power play beyond the stage.
9:00pm Violette
Violette follows the compelling story of novelist Violette Leduc and her struggle to find her voice as a writer. Scarred by both a childhood trauma and a loveless marriage, Violette finds a complex mentor in Simone de Beauvoir and gains entry to a world of literary giants.
Monday 10 March
1:45pm Under The Rainbow
Laura has always dreamed of the perfect fairy tale romance. When she meets an aspiring composer, Sandro, she knows straight away that he is her prince charming. But what happens in the fairy tale when prince number two appears?
4:15pm It Boy
Beautiful and talented Alice is in her late thirties, with her sights set on the top job at the haute couture fashion magazine, Rebelle. Unfortunately her uptight attitude makes her boss Vincent doubt she has what it takes. However when she meets the 20-year-old Balthazar, a chain of misunderstandings suddenly finds her with a newfound cougar persona that changes her image, and her career chances, for the better.
6:45pm Suzanne
Suzanne spent her childhood in a loving but working-class home with her adoring elder sister Maria and their widowed father Nicolas. Barely into her teenage years, Suzanne falls pregnant, and declares that she will keep the baby; she decides to choose love above all else-an attitude that will trigger irrevocable consequences for her entire family.
9:00pm Möbius
Monaco provides the glamorous setting for an undercover sting set up by Gregory Lioubov to entrap corrupt tycoon, Ivan Rostrovski. The brilliant and beautiful financial trader Alice, is enlisted to get close to Ivan, but first gets even closer to Gregory. Their torrid affair soon becomes a threat to the smooth unfolding of the operation as secrets and suspicions accumulate, and no one is exactly who they seem.
Tuesday 11 March
1:30pm Quai d’Orsay
Arthur Vlaminck, a recent graduate from the highly prestigious Ecole Nationale d’Administration, is hired by the minister Alexandre Taillard de Vorms to work at the foreign ministry drafting speeches for the minister himself. His lack of previous political experience makes him an easy target for the power struggles and back- stabbing of the minister’s support network of advisers and back room staff. And it’s not long before he’s spinning between the minister, his chief of staff and a cabal of hard- nosed technocrats. Gradually Arthur learns the skills he needs to survive and find his place in the cut-throat world of high-level international diplomacy.
4:15pm It Boy
Beautiful and talented Alice is in her late thirties, with her sights set on the top job at the haute couture fashion magazine, Rebelle. Unfortunately her uptight attitude makes her boss Vincent doubt she has what it takes. However when she meets the 20-year-old Balthazar, a chain of misunderstandings suddenly finds her with a newfound cougar persona that changes her image, and her career chances, for the better.
6:45pm Just a Sigh
Alix is a forty-three year old actress en route to Paris for an audition. With a broken mobile phone and a maxed-out credit card, Alix is momentarily loosened from the moorings that anchor her to modern life and to her boyfriend. A brief train conversation with an enigmatic stranger Douglas, sets her on a path of spontaneous decisions with both the promise and the risk of new beginnings.
9:00pm True Friends
Fifty-something restaurateur Walter is obsessed with the truth. He will not permit an untruth to pass his lips, and applies this rigorous moral standard to all those around him. Unfortunately, his daughter Clémence, and two best friends, novelist Paul and bookstore owner Jacques, are not being as truthful as they could be. As Walter prepares his latest restaurant for its opening night, desperate for his first Michelin star, the dishonesty of those closest to him shields him from the drama unfolding in their lives.
Wednesday 12 March
1:30pm Family Matters
Gaspard Dassonville is a 63-year-old lothario television producer who refuses to grow old gracefully. However, the harsh reality of adult responsibility and old age catches up with him, in the form of his feisty but infirm father, Hubert, who comes to live with him. The incorrigible duo become a trio when a nurse, Zana arrives with dubious references and a wild imagination. A flighty, vivacious, free-spirited Zana enchants both men, but for different reasons. After the inevitable showdown over this unconventional woman, Gaspard and Hubert find their relationship invigorated rather than diminished, and slowly they rediscover one another.
4:15pm Folies Bergère
Long married 50-somethings Brigitte and Xavier are prize cattle breeders in regional France. Life is good, but the departure of their children from home has thrown Brigitte’s world into flux, as she finds herself locked into routine. She keeps hoping for something else, something more.
Ousmane is a risk-taking, rule-breaking plainclothes detective working in the rough Paris suburbs. When a wealthy woman winds up dead in the hood, Ousmane has to partner with slick city cop, François, to track down the killers. Soon the stakes are raised, and the odd couple partners discover that both sides have more in common than they realised.
9:00pm Taking Off
Now that he is approaching the age of 30, Romain has decided it’s time to re-evaluate. For too long he has watched his life drift by without acting on his true feelings. Struggling to cope with an overbearing, manic-depressive brother and a father with a worrying neurodegenerative disease, Romain has always done what is expected of him without complaining. Ironically by being such a dutiful son and brother, he has become the black sheep of the family.
Thursday 13 March
1:30pm Homeland
When 26-year-old law student Farid is asked by his father to go to Algeria and save the family house from demolition, he has no idea what to expect. He speaks only a little Arabic, he is frustrated by the local customs, and he can’t appreciate the country’s beauty. Little by little, however, Farid falls in love with his father’s homeland, as well as a beautiful girl from the village.
4:00pm Jappeloup
Jappeloup is the inspirational true story of one man and his horse, who together achieved one of France’s greatest Olympic victories. Pierre Durand decides to leave a legal career to follow his equestrian dream. He sees something special in a small and stubborn colt called Jappeloup and decides to reach for gold in the competitive world of show jumping. Supported by his father and fellow rider Nadia, Pierre falters as he comes tantalizingly close to ultimate success. Can he defy the odds to take his beloved horse to success in the Seoul games of 1988?
6:45pm Me, Myself and Mum
It deals with the relationship between Guillaume, and his overbearing mother, who brings him up as an effeminate boy while his two siblings bond with his macho father and go off on rugby weekends. Guillaume indulges in more gentle pursuits, such as a holiday in Spain where he is taught to dance-except he learns all the female moves to much hilarity from the assembled company.
9:00pm Tour de Force
Family man François Nouel is the number one fan of the Tour de France-an obsession that costs him his wife and his job. At a loose end, François meets a former sports manager, Rémi who encourages him to take the plunge and do the Tour himself. With nothing to lose, François sets off, always one day ahead of the race, attracting fellow amateurs, media coverage and cheering crowds. As obstacle after obstacle is thrown his way, and his family comes back on the scene, François discovers what is really most important in his life.
Friday 14 March
1:30pm 11.6
Security van driver Toni Musulin leads a structured, normal existence. Or so it appears. Boredom with his partner, frustration with his routine and resentment towards his employers simmer beneath the surface. Gradually he sets out to enact an improbable act of revenge-disappearing with the contents of his own van.
4:15pm Venus in Fur
Thomas Novachek is struggling to cast the lead in his theatrical production of the notorious Sacher-Masoch novella of the title. As if on cue, the abrasive and brash Vanda appears at the auditions. With the play already memorized and an unnerving way of completely inhabiting the dominatrix role, Vanda casts an intoxicating spell on Thomas that spirals into a power play beyond the stage.
6:45pm Folies Bergère
Long married 50-somethings Brigitte and Xavier are prize cattle breeders in regional France. Life is good, but the departure of their children from home has thrown Brigitte’s world into flux, as she finds herself locked into routine. She keeps hoping for something else, something more.
9:00pm Jappeloup
Jappeloup is the inspirational true story of one man and his horse, who together achieved one of France’s greatest Olympic victories. Pierre Durand decides to leave a legal career to follow his equestrian dream. He sees something special in a small and stubborn colt called Jappeloup and decides to reach for gold in the competitive world of show jumping. Supported by his father and fellow rider Nadia, Pierre falters as he comes tantalizingly close to ultimate success. Can he defy the odds to take his beloved horse to success in the Seoul games of 1988?
Saturday 15 March
1:30pm A Castle in Italy
Louise is an ex-actress struggling to hold her once wealthy family together and keep them connected to their beautiful estate in Piedmonte. Life becomes more complicated when Louise begins a relationship with smouldering Nathan whose father Louise may already know too well. As the film moves along briskly, it deftly and intelligently deals with family relationships, love, responsibility, commitment and the risks of genuine honesty. The story is semi-autobiographical, drawing from Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi’s own experiences.
4:15pm Mademoiselle C.
As one of the most revered doyens of modern fashion, Carine Roitfeld’s tenure as editor-in-chief at Vogue Paris defined a new age of French fashion. Following Carine Roitfeld as she embarks on the launch of her new magazine, the documentary Mademoiselle C. is a delicious immersion in the glamorous world of the catwalk.
6:45pm Grand Central
Grand Central is the story of Gary, an aimless and unskilled worker who lands himself a job at a nuclear reactor. Almost immediately he finds himself ignoring the warning signs and venturing where he shouldn’t: into the arms of a co-worker’s fiancée.
9:00pm Populaire
Set in the late 1950s, Populaire‘s heroine is Rose Pamphyle, a girl who lives with her widowed father, but yearns for so much more than the aimless life her inevitable marriage to the local mechanic’s son promises. Travelling out of her small town in Normandy in search of a job, she is interviewed by an insurance agent: the suave, driven Louis Échard, who discovers she possesses an unworldly ability to type. Once a gifted boxer and runner, Louis now becomes Rose’s coach and soon begins preparing her for the world speed typing championships in New-York.
Sunday 16 March
12:15pm Jacques Brel, the Home Stretch
Voted the greatest Belgian of all time, the singer/songwriter/actor/director Jacques Brel left an extraordinary legacy upon his early death in 1978. The documentary looks at the final stage of Brel’s life, when, battling cancer, he retreated from public view to sail the Pacific, finding solace in the Marquesas Islands.
1:45pm Homeland
When 26-year-old law student Farid is asked by his father to go to Algeria and save the family house from demolition, he has no idea what to expect. He speaks only a little Arabic, he is frustrated by the local customs, and he can’t appreciate the country’s beauty. Little by little, however, Farid falls in love with his father’s homeland, as well as a beautiful girl from the village.
4:15pm Cycling with Molière
Serge is a retired great actor, living as a recluse amid the windswept landscape of the Île de Ré. Gauthier, a fellow actor currently enjoying a career high as a TV heartthrob, visits Serge and tempts him to make a comeback with a production of Molière’s play, The Misanthrope. Before agreeing, Serge insists on seven days of rehearsal. The addition of a mysterious Italian divorcée as a love interest adds a deliciously romantic frisson to this hilarious and brilliantly acted take on the classic French comedy of manners.
6:45pm Turning Tide
After his friend Franck breaks a leg, Yann Kermadec steps in to skipper a high-tech yacht for the Vendee Globe, a strictly solo three month round-the-world yacht race. Early misfortune sees Yann’s boat briefly laid up in the Canary Islands, but when he rejoins the race, he discovers he is now carrying a teenage stowaway, Mano. Realizing his long cherished dream of winning the Vendée Globe is now imperiled by the presence of the young Mauritian, a furious Yann refuses to speak to the boy. However slowly his hostility gives way to empathy and an understanding of Mano’s predicament.
9:00pm Our Heroes Died Tonight
Set in the criminal milieu surrounding professional wrestling in the 1960s, the story follows Victor, a gentle giant who turns to wrestling as a career after returning from a stint with the Foreign Legion in Algeria. Victor’s friend Simon, already established as “The Spectre” in the wrestling world, helps him to create an alter ego, “The Butcher”, and together they forge a lucrative rivalry. A decision to switch masks, however, leads to dire consequences as the pair runs afoul of match-riggers and hit men in a spiral of mortal danger.
Monday 17 March
1:30pm Belle and Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian is set high in the snowy Alps during the Second World War. The resourceful Sebastian is a lonely boy who tames and befriends a giant, wild mountain dog, Belle-even though the villagers believe her to be ‘the beast’ that has been killing their sheep.
4:15pm Suzanne
Suzanne spent her childhood in a loving but working-class home with her adoring elder sister Maria and their widowed father Nicolas. Barely into her teenage years, Suzanne falls pregnant, and declares that she will keep the baby; she decides to choose love above all else-an attitude that will trigger irrevocable consequences for her entire family.
6:45pm Friends from France
Set in the USSR in 1979, the film follows young engaged couple Carole and Jérôme on a vacation to Odessa-or at least that is their cover story. In fact they are Jewish cousins, on a secret mission to help ‘refuseniks’, Jews persecuted by the Soviet regime for wanting to leave the country. Together they explore the dangerous world of Breshnev’s Russia, filled with many dark undercurrents-a place where it’s dangerous to trust anyone.
9:00pm Attila Marcel
Until now, Paul’s existence has been sheltered and strange. The thirty-something man has lived all his life in a drab Paris apartment with two aunts and a daily routine of constant piano practice. When Paul meets an eccentric neighbor and tries her herbal brew, he uncovers deeply buried childhood memories-and a key to unlocking the great mystery of his life.
Tuesday 18 March
1:30pm Camille Claudel 1915
Troubled sculptress Camille Claudel has been confined to an asylum for two years following the collapse of her affair with fellow artist, Auguste Rodin. Isolated from the outside world, she pleads the case for her sanity with doctors. A visit from her pious brother Paul seems to hold the hope for her release, but first he must be persuaded that she isn’t possessed by the devil.
4:15pm Tour de Force
Family man François Nouel is the number one fan of the Tour de France-an obsession that costs him his wife and his job. At a loose end, François meets a former sports manager, Rémi who encourages him to take the plunge and do the Tour himself. With nothing to lose, François sets off, always one day ahead of the race, attracting fellow amateurs, media coverage and cheering crowds. As obstacle after obstacle is thrown his way, and his family comes back on the scene, François discovers what is really most important in his life.
6:45pm Finally, Sunday!
When Julien is accused of murdering his wife and his wife’s lover, his secretary, Barbara is determined to clear his name.
9:00pm Michael Kohlhaas
After repeatedly being cheated, horse trader Michael Kohlhaas dares to confront the corrupt local Baron but is frustrated at every step by the equally corrupt courts. His campaign for his rights is met by escalating violence and cruelty, until a truly heinous crime sends Michael on a mission for vengeance.
Wednesday 19 March
1:30pm Our Heroes Died Tonight
Set in the criminal milieu surrounding professional wrestling in the 1960s, the story follows Victor, a gentle giant who turns to wrestling as a career after returning from a stint with the Foreign Legion in Algeria. Victor’s friend Simon, already established as “The Spectre” in the wrestling world, helps him to create an alter ego, “The Butcher”, and together they forge a lucrative rivalry. A decision to switch masks, however, leads to dire consequences as the pair runs afoul of match-riggers and hit men in a spiral of mortal danger.
4:15pm Turning Tide
After his friend Franck breaks a leg, Yann Kermadec steps in to skipper a high-tech yacht for the Vendee Globe, a strictly solo three month round-the-world yacht race. Early misfortune sees Yann’s boat briefly laid up in the Canary Islands, but when he rejoins the race, he discovers he is now carrying a teenage stowaway, Mano. Realizing his long cherished dream of winning the Vendée Globe is now imperiled by the presence of the young Mauritian, a furious Yann refuses to speak to the boy. However slowly his hostility gives way to empathy and an understanding of Mano’s predicament.
6:45pm Wrestling Queens
Seeking to reconnect with the estranged son she had as a teenager, 30-year-old Rose decides to capture his attention by appealing to his number one obsession: wrestling. Enlisting three fellow supermarket check-out clerks, she forms a troupe and the Wrestling Queens (Les reines du ring) are born.
9:00pm Going Away
Baptiste is an inspiring primary school teacher, who finds himself looking after Mathias, one of his students for a weekend. When Baptiste takes Mathias back to his mother, the radiant, impulsive Sandra, he is instantly enchanted. For three beautiful days of the Whitsun holiday, a new beginning and new love seem possible with their troubled pasts a distant memory. However all too soon Sandra’s problems threaten their fragile idyll, and Baptiste is forced to make a choice: help Sandra and face his dark past or walk away again.
Thursday 20 March
1:30pm Mademoiselle C.
As one of the most revered doyens of modern fashion, Carine Roitfeld’s tenure as editor-in-chief at Vogue Paris defined a new age of French fashion. Following Carine Roitfeld as she embarks on the launch of her new magazine, the documentary Mademoiselle C. is a delicious immersion in the glamorous world of the catwalk.
4:15pm The Finishers
Wheelchair-bound teenager Julien is the apple of his mother’s eye, but he yearns for the approval of his brooding and bitter father, Paul. With his youth as an iron-man champion behind him, Paul distances himself from his disabled son. When Julien suggests the seemingly crazy idea that they join forces to compete in a triathlon in Nice, an incredible journey of persistence and determination begins.
6:45pm Jappeloup
Jappeloup is the inspirational true story of one man and his horse, who together achieved one of France’s greatest Olympic victories. Pierre Durand decides to leave a legal career to follow his equestrian dream. He sees something special in a small and stubborn colt called Jappeloup and decides to reach for gold in the competitive world of show jumping. Supported by his father and fellow rider Nadia, Pierre falters as he comes tantalizingly close to ultimate success. Can he defy the odds to take his beloved horse to success in the Seoul games of 1988?
9:30pm Domestic Life
How does a modern woman balance the demands of family and career? The film is a critical yet sympathetic depiction of 24 hours in the lives of several women. Stifled by her unimaginative husband, Juliette struggles with the demands of home and yearns to work in a publishing house.
Friday 21 March
1:30pm Attila Marcel
Until now, Paul’s existence has been sheltered and strange. The thirty-something man has lived all his life in a drab Paris apartment with two aunts and a daily routine of constant piano practice. When Paul meets an eccentric neighbor and tries her herbal brew, he uncovers deeply buried childhood memories-and a key to unlocking the great mystery of his life.
4:15pm Wrestling Queens
Seeking to reconnect with the estranged son she had as a teenager, 30-year-old Rose decides to capture his attention by appealing to his number one obsession: wrestling. Enlisting three fellow supermarket check-out clerks, she forms a troupe and the Wrestling Queens (Les reines du ring) are born.
????? IMDB
6:45pm 2 Autumns, 3 Winters
Thirty-three year old Aman decides to start his new life with an evening jog-and literally runs into the love of his life, Amélie. Aman’s best friend Benjamin suffers from a mild stroke-which leads him to physical therapist Katia. So begins this fresh and surprising comedy about love, accidents and memories.
9:00pm Camille Claudel 1915
Troubled sculptress Camille Claudel has been confined to an asylum for two years following the collapse of her affair with fellow artist, Auguste Rodin. Isolated from the outside world, she pleads the case for her sanity with doctors. A visit from her pious brother Paul seems to hold the hope for her release, but first he must be persuaded that she isn’t possessed by the devil.
Saturday 22 March
1:45pm Going Away
Baptiste is an inspiring primary school teacher, who finds himself looking after Mathias, one of his students for a weekend. When Baptiste takes Mathias back to his mother, the radiant, impulsive Sandra, he is instantly enchanted. For three beautiful days of the Whitsun holiday, a new beginning and new love seem possible with their troubled pasts a distant memory. However all too soon Sandra’s problems threaten their fragile idyll, and Baptiste is forced to make a choice: help Sandra and face his dark past or walk away again.
4:15pm Cycling with Molière
Serge is a retired great actor, living as a recluse amid the windswept landscape of the Île de Ré. Gauthier, a fellow actor currently enjoying a career high as a TV heartthrob, visits Serge and tempts him to make a comeback with a production of Molière’s play, The Misanthrope. Before agreeing, Serge insists on seven days of rehearsal. The addition of a mysterious Italian divorcée as a love interest adds a deliciously romantic frisson to this hilarious and brilliantly acted take on the classic French comedy of manners.
6:45pm Bright Days Ahead
When Caroline retires she finds that her new found freedom quickly turns to boredom. Taking the plunge and joining a seniors’ club, she strikes up a relationship with a young computer science teacher and local ladies’ man, Julien, who is half her age. This soon turns into a passionate amour fou, complicated by their age difference, Caroline’s marriage and Julien’s string of other lovers.
9:00pm Venus in Fur
Thomas Novachek is struggling to cast the lead in his theatrical production of the notorious Sacher-Masoch novella of the title. As if on cue, the abrasive and brash Vanda appears at the auditions. With the play already memorized and an unnerving way of completely inhabiting the dominatrix role, Vanda casts an intoxicating spell on Thomas that spirals into a power play beyond the stage.
Sunday 23 March
1:45pm Quai d’Orsay
Arthur Vlaminck, a recent graduate from the highly prestigious Ecole Nationale d’Administration, is hired by the minister Alexandre Taillard de Vorms to work at the foreign ministry drafting speeches for the minister himself. His lack of previous political experience makes him an easy target for the power struggles and back- stabbing of the minister’s support network of advisers and back room staff. And it’s not long before he’s spinning between the minister, his chief of staff and a cabal of hard- nosed technocrats. Gradually Arthur learns the skills he needs to survive and find his place in the cut-throat world of high-level international diplomacy.
4:15pm 11.6
Security van driver Toni Musulin leads a structured, normal existence. Or so it appears. Boredom with his partner, frustration with his routine and resentment towards his employers simmer beneath the surface. Gradually he sets out to enact an improbable act of revenge-disappearing with the contents of his own van.
6:45pm Friends from France
Set in the USSR in 1979, the film follows young engaged couple Carole and Jérôme on a vacation to Odessa-or at least that is their cover story. In fact they are Jewish cousins, on a secret mission to help ‘refuseniks’, Jews persecuted by the Soviet regime for wanting to leave the country. Together they explore the dangerous world of Breshnev’s Russia, filled with many dark undercurrents-a place where it’s dangerous to trust anyone.
8:45pm Closing Night Film (Closing Night)
@Palace Balwyn Cinema
Thursday 6 March
1:30pm It Boy
Beautiful and talented Alice is in her late thirties, with her sights set on the top job at the haute couture fashion magazine, Rebelle. Unfortunately her uptight attitude makes her boss Vincent doubt she has what it takes. However when she meets the 20-year-old Balthazar, a chain of misunderstandings suddenly finds her with a newfound cougar persona that changes her image, and her career chances, for the better.
4:00pm Friends from France
Set in the USSR in 1979, the film follows young engaged couple Carole and Jérôme on a vacation to Odessa-or at least that is their cover story. In fact they are Jewish cousins, on a secret mission to help ‘refuseniks’, Jews persecuted by the Soviet regime for wanting to leave the country. Together they explore the dangerous world of Breshnev’s Russia, filled with many dark undercurrents-a place where it’s dangerous to trust anyone.
6:30pm Tour de Force
Family man François Nouel is the number one fan of the Tour de France-an obsession that costs him his wife and his job. At a loose end, François meets a former sports manager, Rémi who encourages him to take the plunge and do the Tour himself. With nothing to lose, François sets off, always one day ahead of the race, attracting fellow amateurs, media coverage and cheering crowds. As obstacle after obstacle is thrown his way, and his family comes back on the scene, François discovers what is really most important in his life.
9:00pm Wrestling Queens
Seeking to reconnect with the estranged son she had as a teenager, 30-year-old Rose decides to capture his attention by appealing to his number one obsession: wrestling. Enlisting three fellow supermarket check-out clerks, she forms a troupe and the Wrestling Queens (Les reines du ring) are born.
Friday 7 March
1:30pm Suzanne
Suzanne spent her childhood in a loving but working-class home with her adoring elder sister Maria and their widowed father Nicolas. Barely into her teenage years, Suzanne falls pregnant, and declares that she will keep the baby; she decides to choose love above all else-an attitude that will trigger irrevocable consequences for her entire family.
4:00pm A Castle in Italy
Louise is an ex-actress struggling to hold her once wealthy family together and keep them connected to their beautiful estate in Piedmonte. Life becomes more complicated when Louise begins a relationship with smouldering Nathan whose father Louise may already know too well. As the film moves along briskly, it deftly and intelligently deals with family relationships, love, responsibility, commitment and the risks of genuine honesty. The story is semi-autobiographical, drawing from Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi’s own experiences.
6:30pm Jappeloup
Jappeloup is the inspirational true story of one man and his horse, who together achieved one of France’s greatest Olympic victories. Pierre Durand decides to leave a legal career to follow his equestrian dream. He sees something special in a small and stubborn colt called Jappeloup and decides to reach for gold in the competitive world of show jumping. Supported by his father and fellow rider Nadia, Pierre falters as he comes tantalizingly close to ultimate success. Can he defy the odds to take his beloved horse to success in the Seoul games of 1988?
9:30pm Suzanne
Suzanne spent her childhood in a loving but working-class home with her adoring elder sister Maria and their widowed father Nicolas. Barely into her teenage years, Suzanne falls pregnant, and declares that she will keep the baby; she decides to choose love above all else-an attitude that will trigger irrevocable consequences for her entire family.
????? Cine-Vue
Saturday 8 March
12:15pm And Sail to the Australes
Come aboard the good ship Tuhaa Pae II, which served the Austral Islands for 32 years by ferrying vital food, goods and freight. In Gil Breussail’s beautifully shot and informative documentary you will meet the beloved ship’s crew, learn how one vessel played an important role in a changing society, and see life today among the colorful harbors and far-flung, sun-drenched archipelagos of the Pacific.
Kirikou and the Men and Women is an enchanting animation following the adventures of an unlikely superhero: the mischievous and heroic newborn baby Kirikou. Based loosely on Senegalese fables, Kirikou tells five stories of ingenuity and courage, as the tiny but fearless crusader saves his village from foes both natural and supernatural.
4:00pm Mademoiselle C.
As one of the most revered doyens of modern fashion, Carine Roitfeld’s tenure as editor-in-chief at Vogue Paris defined a new age of French fashion. Following Carine Roitfeld as she embarks on the launch of her new magazine, the documentary Mademoiselle C. is a delicious immersion in the glamorous world of the catwalk.
6:30pm It Boy
Beautiful and talented Alice is in her late thirties, with her sights set on the top job at the haute couture fashion magazine, Rebelle. Unfortunately her uptight attitude makes her boss Vincent doubt she has what it takes. However when she meets the 20-year-old Balthazar, a chain of misunderstandings suddenly finds her with a newfound cougar persona that changes her image, and her career chances, for the better.
9:00pm Bright Days Ahead
When Caroline retires she finds that her new found freedom quickly turns to boredom. Taking the plunge and joining a seniors’ club, she strikes up a relationship with a young computer science teacher and local ladies’ man, Julien, who is half her age. This soon turns into a passionate amour fou, complicated by their age difference, Caroline’s marriage and Julien’s string of other lovers.
Sunday 9 March
12:15pm La Monique, a Caledonian Wound
On the night of July 3rd, 1953, the ship La Monique vanished between the New Caledonia islands of Maré and Grande Terre. The wreck, and its 126 passengers, were never found. This powerful story remains relevant today for the people of this pacific island paradise.
1:30pm Quai d’Orsay
Arthur Vlaminck, a recent graduate from the highly prestigious Ecole Nationale d’Administration, is hired by the minister Alexandre Taillard de Vorms to work at the foreign ministry drafting speeches for the minister himself. His lack of previous political experience makes him an easy target for the power struggles and back- stabbing of the minister’s support network of advisers and back room staff. And it’s not long before he’s spinning between the minister, his chief of staff and a cabal of hard- nosed technocrats. Gradually Arthur learns the skills he needs to survive and find his place in the cut-throat world of high-level international diplomacy.
4:00pm The Finishers
Wheelchair-bound teenager Julien is the apple of his mother’s eye, but he yearns for the approval of his brooding and bitter father, Paul. With his youth as an iron-man champion behind him, Paul distances himself from his disabled son. When Julien suggests the seemingly crazy idea that they join forces to compete in a triathlon in Nice, an incredible journey of persistence and determination begins.
6:30pm Populaire
Set in the late 1950s, Populaire‘s heroine is Rose Pamphyle, a girl who lives with her widowed father, but yearns for so much more than the aimless life her inevitable marriage to the local mechanic’s son promises. Travelling out of her small town in Normandy in search of a job, she is interviewed by an insurance agent: the suave, driven Louis Échard, who discovers she possesses an unworldly ability to type. Once a gifted boxer and runner, Louis now becomes Rose’s coach and soon begins preparing her for the world speed typing championships in New-York.
9:00pm Cycling with Molière
Serge is a retired great actor, living as a recluse amid the windswept landscape of the Île de Ré. Gauthier, a fellow actor currently enjoying a career high as a TV heartthrob, visits Serge and tempts him to make a comeback with a production of Molière’s play, The Misanthrope. Before agreeing, Serge insists on seven days of rehearsal. The addition of a mysterious Italian divorcée as a love interest adds a deliciously romantic frisson to this hilarious and brilliantly acted take on the classic French comedy of manners.
Monday 10 March
1:30pm Belle and Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian is set high in the snowy Alps during the Second World War. The resourceful Sebastian is a lonely boy who tames and befriends a giant, wild mountain dog, Belle-even though the villagers believe her to be ‘the beast’ that has been killing their sheep.
4:00pm Grand Central
Grand Central is the story of Gary, an aimless and unskilled worker who lands himself a job at a nuclear reactor. Almost immediately he finds himself ignoring the warning signs and venturing where he shouldn’t: into the arms of a co-worker’s fiancée.
6:30pm Jappeloup
Jappeloup is the inspirational true story of one man and his horse, who together achieved one of France’s greatest Olympic victories. Pierre Durand decides to leave a legal career to follow his equestrian dream. He sees something special in a small and stubborn colt called Jappeloup and decides to reach for gold in the competitive world of show jumping. Supported by his father and fellow rider Nadia, Pierre falters as he comes tantalizingly close to ultimate success. Can he defy the odds to take his beloved horse to success in the Seoul games of 1988?
9:15pm Our Heroes Died Tonight
Set in the criminal milieu surrounding professional wrestling in the 1960s, the story follows Victor, a gentle giant who turns to wrestling as a career after returning from a stint with the Foreign Legion in Algeria. Victor’s friend Simon, already established as “The Spectre” in the wrestling world, helps him to create an alter ego, “The Butcher”, and together they forge a lucrative rivalry. A decision to switch masks, however, leads to dire consequences as the pair runs afoul of match-riggers and hit men in a spiral of mortal danger.
Tuesday 11 March
1:30pm Populaire
Set in the late 1950s, Populaire‘s heroine is Rose Pamphyle, a girl who lives with her widowed father, but yearns for so much more than the aimless life her inevitable marriage to the local mechanic’s son promises. Travelling out of her small town in Normandy in search of a job, she is interviewed by an insurance agent: the suave, driven Louis Échard, who discovers she possesses an unworldly ability to type. Once a gifted boxer and runner, Louis now becomes Rose’s coach and soon begins preparing her for the world speed typing championships in New-York.
4:00pm Michael Kohlhaas
After repeatedly being cheated, horse trader Michael Kohlhaas dares to confront the corrupt local Baron but is frustrated at every step by the equally corrupt courts. His campaign for his rights is met by escalating violence and cruelty, until a truly heinous crime sends Michael on a mission for vengeance.
6:30pm Friends from France
Set in the USSR in 1979, the film follows young engaged couple Carole and Jérôme on a vacation to Odessa-or at least that is their cover story. In fact they are Jewish cousins, on a secret mission to help ‘refuseniks’, Jews persecuted by the Soviet regime for wanting to leave the country. Together they explore the dangerous world of Breshnev’s Russia, filled with many dark undercurrents-a place where it’s dangerous to trust anyone.
9:00pm Finally, Sunday!
When Julien is accused of murdering his wife and his wife’s lover, his secretary, Barbara is determined to clear his name.
Wednesday 12 March
1:30pm Jappeloup
Jappeloup is the inspirational true story of one man and his horse, who together achieved one of France’s greatest Olympic victories. Pierre Durand decides to leave a legal career to follow his equestrian dream. He sees something special in a small and stubborn colt called Jappeloup and decides to reach for gold in the competitive world of show jumping. Supported by his father and fellow rider Nadia, Pierre falters as he comes tantalizingly close to ultimate success. Can he defy the odds to take his beloved horse to success in the Seoul games of 1988?
4:00pm Homeland
When 26-year-old law student Farid is asked by his father to go to Algeria and save the family house from demolition, he has no idea what to expect. He speaks only a little Arabic, he is frustrated by the local customs, and he can’t appreciate the country’s beauty. Little by little, however, Farid falls in love with his father’s homeland, as well as a beautiful girl from the village.
6:30pm Jules and Jim
The story of two friends, Jules and Jim in the whirlwind era of La Belle Époque. The two men enjoy a Bohemian life, but when they are both captivated by the capricious Catherine, a complicated struggle between love and friendship begins.
9:00pm Camille Claudel 1915
Troubled sculptress Camille Claudel has been confined to an asylum for two years following the collapse of her affair with fellow artist, Auguste Rodin. Isolated from the outside world, she pleads the case for her sanity with doctors. A visit from her pious brother Paul seems to hold the hope for her release, but first he must be persuaded that she isn’t possessed by the devil.
Thursday 13 March
1:30pm Tour de Force
Family man François Nouel is the number one fan of the Tour de France-an obsession that costs him his wife and his job. At a loose end, François meets a former sports manager, Rémi who encourages him to take the plunge and do the Tour himself. With nothing to lose, François sets off, always one day ahead of the race, attracting fellow amateurs, media coverage and cheering crowds. As obstacle after obstacle is thrown his way, and his family comes back on the scene, François discovers what is really most important in his life.
4:00pm Attila Marcel
Until now, Paul’s existence has been sheltered and strange. The thirty-something man has lived all his life in a drab Paris apartment with two aunts and a daily routine of constant piano practice. When Paul meets an eccentric neighbor and tries her herbal brew, he uncovers deeply buried childhood memories-and a key to unlocking the great mystery of his life.
7:00pm Folies Bergère (Special Event)
Long married 50-somethings Brigitte and Xavier are prize cattle breeders in regional France. Life is good, but the departure of their children from home has thrown Brigitte’s world into flux, as she finds herself locked into routine. She keeps hoping for something else, something more.
9:15pm Bright Days Ahead
When Caroline retires she finds that her new found freedom quickly turns to boredom. Taking the plunge and joining a seniors’ club, she strikes up a relationship with a young computer science teacher and local ladies’ man, Julien, who is half her age. This soon turns into a passionate amour fou, complicated by their age difference, Caroline’s marriage and Julien’s string of other lovers.
Friday 14 March
1:30pm Folies Bergère
Long married 50-somethings Brigitte and Xavier are prize cattle breeders in regional France. Life is good, but the departure of their children from home has thrown Brigitte’s world into flux, as she finds herself locked into routine. She keeps hoping for something else, something more.
4:00pm Domestic Life
How does a modern woman balance the demands of family and career? The film is a critical yet sympathetic depiction of 24 hours in the lives of several women. Stifled by her unimaginative husband, Juliette struggles with the demands of home and yearns to work in a publishing house.
6:30pm It Boy
Beautiful and talented Alice is in her late thirties, with her sights set on the top job at the haute couture fashion magazine, Rebelle. Unfortunately her uptight attitude makes her boss Vincent doubt she has what it takes. However when she meets the 20-year-old Balthazar, a chain of misunderstandings suddenly finds her with a newfound cougar persona that changes her image, and her career chances, for the better.
9:00pm Venus in Fur
Thomas Novachek is struggling to cast the lead in his theatrical production of the notorious Sacher-Masoch novella of the title. As if on cue, the abrasive and brash Vanda appears at the auditions. With the play already memorized and an unnerving way of completely inhabiting the dominatrix role, Vanda casts an intoxicating spell on Thomas that spirals into a power play beyond the stage.
Saturday 15 March
12:15pm Jacques Brel, the Home Stretch
Voted the greatest Belgian of all time, the singer/songwriter/actor/director Jacques Brel left an extraordinary legacy upon his early death in 1978. The documentary looks at the final stage of Brel’s life, when, battling cancer, he retreated from public view to sail the Pacific, finding solace in the Marquesas Islands.
1:30pm Homeland
When 26-year-old law student Farid is asked by his father to go to Algeria and save the family house from demolition, he has no idea what to expect. He speaks only a little Arabic, he is frustrated by the local customs, and he can’t appreciate the country’s beauty. Little by little, however, Farid falls in love with his father’s homeland, as well as a beautiful girl from the village.
4:00pm A Castle in Italy
Louise is an ex-actress struggling to hold her once wealthy family together and keep them connected to their beautiful estate in Piedmonte. Life becomes more complicated when Louise begins a relationship with smouldering Nathan whose father Louise may already know too well. As the film moves along briskly, it deftly and intelligently deals with family relationships, love, responsibility, commitment and the risks of genuine honesty. The story is semi-autobiographical, drawing from Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi’s own experiences.
6:30pm Folies Bergère
Long married 50-somethings Brigitte and Xavier are prize cattle breeders in regional France. Life is good, but the departure of their children from home has thrown Brigitte’s world into flux, as she finds herself locked into routine. She keeps hoping for something else, something more.
9:00pm Venus in Fur
Thomas Novachek is struggling to cast the lead in his theatrical production of the notorious Sacher-Masoch novella of the title. As if on cue, the abrasive and brash Vanda appears at the auditions. With the play already memorized and an unnerving way of completely inhabiting the dominatrix role, Vanda casts an intoxicating spell on Thomas that spirals into a power play beyond the stage.
Sunday 16 March
1:30pm Billy and Buddy
Billy is a red-coated cocker spaniel waiting for a new master at the pound. Buddy is a young red-headed boy looking for a pet. When they meet it’s the beginning of a wonderful friendship and a hilarious adventure. It’s also the beginning of a lot of trouble for Billy’s parents!
4:00pm Populaire
Set in the late 1950s, Populaire‘s heroine is Rose Pamphyle, a girl who lives with her widowed father, but yearns for so much more than the aimless life her inevitable marriage to the local mechanic’s son promises. Travelling out of her small town in Normandy in search of a job, she is interviewed by an insurance agent: the suave, driven Louis Échard, who discovers she possesses an unworldly ability to type. Once a gifted boxer and runner, Louis now becomes Rose’s coach and soon begins preparing her for the world speed typing championships in New-York.
6:30pm 11.6
Security van driver Toni Musulin leads a structured, normal existence. Or so it appears. Boredom with his partner, frustration with his routine and resentment towards his employers simmer beneath the surface. Gradually he sets out to enact an improbable act of revenge-disappearing with the contents of his own van.
9:00pm Under The Rainbow
Laura has always dreamed of the perfect fairy tale romance. When she meets an aspiring composer, Sandro, she knows straight away that he is her prince charming. But what happens in the fairy tale when prince number two appears?
Monday 17 March
1:30pm Mademoiselle C.
As one of the most revered doyens of modern fashion, Carine Roitfeld’s tenure as editor-in-chief at Vogue Paris defined a new age of French fashion. Following Carine Roitfeld as she embarks on the launch of her new magazine, the documentary Mademoiselle C. is a delicious immersion in the glamorous world of the catwalk.
4:00pm Going Away
Baptiste is an inspiring primary school teacher, who finds himself looking after Mathias, one of his students for a weekend. When Baptiste takes Mathias back to his mother, the radiant, impulsive Sandra, he is instantly enchanted. For three beautiful days of the Whitsun holiday, a new beginning and new love seem possible with their troubled pasts a distant memory. However all too soon Sandra’s problems threaten their fragile idyll, and Baptiste is forced to make a choice: help Sandra and face his dark past or walk away again.
6:30pm Just a Sigh
Alix is a forty-three year old actress en route to Paris for an audition. With a broken mobile phone and a maxed-out credit card, Alix is momentarily loosened from the moorings that anchor her to modern life and to her boyfriend. A brief train conversation with an enigmatic stranger Douglas, sets her on a path of spontaneous decisions with both the promise and the risk of new beginnings.
9:00pm Violette
Violette follows the compelling story of novelist Violette Leduc and her struggle to find her voice as a writer. Scarred by both a childhood trauma and a loveless marriage, Violette finds a complex mentor in Simone de Beauvoir and gains entry to a world of literary giants.
Tuesday 18 March
1:30pm Venus in Fur
Thomas Novachek is struggling to cast the lead in his theatrical production of the notorious Sacher-Masoch novella of the title. As if on cue, the abrasive and brash Vanda appears at the auditions. With the play already memorized and an unnerving way of completely inhabiting the dominatrix role, Vanda casts an intoxicating spell on Thomas that spirals into a power play beyond the stage.
4:00pm A Castle in Italy
Louise is an ex-actress struggling to hold her once wealthy family together and keep them connected to their beautiful estate in Piedmonte. Life becomes more complicated when Louise begins a relationship with smouldering Nathan whose father Louise may already know too well. As the film moves along briskly, it deftly and intelligently deals with family relationships, love, responsibility, commitment and the risks of genuine honesty. The story is semi-autobiographical, drawing from Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi’s own experiences.
6:30pm 2 Autumns, 3 Winters
Thirty-three year old Aman decides to start his new life with an evening jog-and literally runs into the love of his life, Amélie. Aman’s best friend Benjamin suffers from a mild stroke-which leads him to physical therapist Katia. So begins this fresh and surprising comedy about love, accidents and memories.
9:00pm True Friends
Fifty-something restaurateur Walter is obsessed with the truth. He will not permit an untruth to pass his lips, and applies this rigorous moral standard to all those around him. Unfortunately, his daughter Clémence, and two best friends, novelist Paul and bookstore owner Jacques, are not being as truthful as they could be. As Walter prepares his latest restaurant for its opening night, desperate for his first Michelin star, the dishonesty of those closest to him shields him from the drama unfolding in their lives.
Wednesday 19 March
1:30pm The Finishers
Wheelchair-bound teenager Julien is the apple of his mother’s eye, but he yearns for the approval of his brooding and bitter father, Paul. With his youth as an iron-man champion behind him, Paul distances himself from his disabled son. When Julien suggests the seemingly crazy idea that they join forces to compete in a triathlon in Nice, an incredible journey of persistence and determination begins.
4:00pm Camille Claudel 1915
Troubled sculptress Camille Claudel has been confined to an asylum for two years following the collapse of her affair with fellow artist, Auguste Rodin. Isolated from the outside world, she pleads the case for her sanity with doctors. A visit from her pious brother Paul seems to hold the hope for her release, but first he must be persuaded that she isn’t possessed by the devil.
6:30pm The 400 Blows
The 400 Blows follows a 12-year-old boy, Antoine, as he negotiates his unravelling world, caught between the hostile indifference of his parents and the aggressive ignorance of his school teacher.
????? Eye For Film
????? IMDB
9:00pm Michael Kohlhaas
After repeatedly being cheated, horse trader Michael Kohlhaas dares to confront the corrupt local Baron but is frustrated at every step by the equally corrupt courts. His campaign for his rights is met by escalating violence and cruelty, until a truly heinous crime sends Michael on a mission for vengeance.
Thursday 20 March
1:30pm Violette
Violette follows the compelling story of novelist Violette Leduc and her struggle to find her voice as a writer. Scarred by both a childhood trauma and a loveless marriage, Violette finds a complex mentor in Simone de Beauvoir and gains entry to a world of literary giants.
4:00pm Cycling with Molière
Serge is a retired great actor, living as a recluse amid the windswept landscape of the Île de Ré. Gauthier, a fellow actor currently enjoying a career high as a TV heartthrob, visits Serge and tempts him to make a comeback with a production of Molière’s play, The Misanthrope. Before agreeing, Serge insists on seven days of rehearsal. The addition of a mysterious Italian divorcée as a love interest adds a deliciously romantic frisson to this hilarious and brilliantly acted take on the classic French comedy of manners.
Ousmane is a risk-taking, rule-breaking plainclothes detective working in the rough Paris suburbs. When a wealthy woman winds up dead in the hood, Ousmane has to partner with slick city cop, François, to track down the killers. Soon the stakes are raised, and the odd couple partners discover that both sides have more in common than they realised.
9:00pm Möbius
Monaco provides the glamorous setting for an undercover sting set up by Gregory Lioubov to entrap corrupt tycoon, Ivan Rostrovski. The brilliant and beautiful financial trader Alice, is enlisted to get close to Ivan, but first gets even closer to Gregory. Their torrid affair soon becomes a threat to the smooth unfolding of the operation as secrets and suspicions accumulate, and no one is exactly who they seem.
Friday 21 March
1:30pm Belle and Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian is set high in the snowy Alps during the Second World War. The resourceful Sebastian is a lonely boy who tames and befriends a giant, wild mountain dog, Belle-even though the villagers believe her to be ‘the beast’ that has been killing their sheep.
4:00pm Our Heroes Died Tonight
Set in the criminal milieu surrounding professional wrestling in the 1960s, the story follows Victor, a gentle giant who turns to wrestling as a career after returning from a stint with the Foreign Legion in Algeria. Victor’s friend Simon, already established as “The Spectre” in the wrestling world, helps him to create an alter ego, “The Butcher”, and together they forge a lucrative rivalry. A decision to switch masks, however, leads to dire consequences as the pair runs afoul of match-riggers and hit men in a spiral of mortal danger.
6:30pm The Finishers
Wheelchair-bound teenager Julien is the apple of his mother’s eye, but he yearns for the approval of his brooding and bitter father, Paul. With his youth as an iron-man champion behind him, Paul distances himself from his disabled son. When Julien suggests the seemingly crazy idea that they join forces to compete in a triathlon in Nice, an incredible journey of persistence and determination begins.
9:00pm Folies Bergère
Long married 50-somethings Brigitte and Xavier are prize cattle breeders in regional France. Life is good, but the departure of their children from home has thrown Brigitte’s world into flux, as she finds herself locked into routine. She keeps hoping for something else, something more.
Saturday 22 March
1:30pm Turning Tide
After his friend Franck breaks a leg, Yann Kermadec steps in to skipper a high-tech yacht for the Vendee Globe, a strictly solo three month round-the-world yacht race. Early misfortune sees Yann’s boat briefly laid up in the Canary Islands, but when he rejoins the race, he discovers he is now carrying a teenage stowaway, Mano. Realizing his long cherished dream of winning the Vendée Globe is now imperiled by the presence of the young Mauritian, a furious Yann refuses to speak to the boy. However slowly his hostility gives way to empathy and an understanding of Mano’s predicament.
4:00pm Wrestling Queens
Seeking to reconnect with the estranged son she had as a teenager, 30-year-old Rose decides to capture his attention by appealing to his number one obsession: wrestling. Enlisting three fellow supermarket check-out clerks, she forms a troupe and the Wrestling Queens (Les reines du ring) are born.
6:30pm Going Away
Baptiste is an inspiring primary school teacher, who finds himself looking after Mathias, one of his students for a weekend. When Baptiste takes Mathias back to his mother, the radiant, impulsive Sandra, he is instantly enchanted. For three beautiful days of the Whitsun holiday, a new beginning and new love seem possible with their troubled pasts a distant memory. However all too soon Sandra’s problems threaten their fragile idyll, and Baptiste is forced to make a choice: help Sandra and face his dark past or walk away again.
9:00pm Me, Myself and Mum
It deals with the relationship between Guillaume, and his overbearing mother, who brings him up as an effeminate boy while his two siblings bond with his macho father and go off on rugby weekends. Guillaume indulges in more gentle pursuits, such as a holiday in Spain where he is taught to dance-except he learns all the female moves to much hilarity from the assembled company.
Sunday 23 March
1:30pm Family Matters
Gaspard Dassonville is a 63-year-old lothario television producer who refuses to grow old gracefully. However, the harsh reality of adult responsibility and old age catches up with him, in the form of his feisty but infirm father, Hubert, who comes to live with him. The incorrigible duo become a trio when a nurse, Zana arrives with dubious references and a wild imagination. A flighty, vivacious, free-spirited Zana enchants both men, but for different reasons. After the inevitable showdown over this unconventional woman, Gaspard and Hubert find their relationship invigorated rather than diminished, and slowly they rediscover one another.
4:00pm Attila Marcel
Until now, Paul’s existence has been sheltered and strange. The thirty-something man has lived all his life in a drab Paris apartment with two aunts and a daily routine of constant piano practice. When Paul meets an eccentric neighbor and tries her herbal brew, he uncovers deeply buried childhood memories-and a key to unlocking the great mystery of his life.
6:30pm Taking Off
Now that he is approaching the age of 30, Romain has decided it’s time to re-evaluate. For too long he has watched his life drift by without acting on his true feelings. Struggling to cope with an overbearing, manic-depressive brother and a father with a worrying neurodegenerative disease, Romain has always done what is expected of him without complaining. Ironically by being such a dutiful son and brother, he has become the black sheep of the family.
????? IMDB
@Palace Brighton Bay
Thursday 6 March
1:30pm Populaire
Set in the late 1950s, Populaire‘s heroine is Rose Pamphyle, a girl who lives with her widowed father, but yearns for so much more than the aimless life her inevitable marriage to the local mechanic’s son promises. Travelling out of her small town in Normandy in search of a job, she is interviewed by an insurance agent: the suave, driven Louis Échard, who discovers she possesses an unworldly ability to type. Once a gifted boxer and runner, Louis now becomes Rose’s coach and soon begins preparing her for the world speed typing championships in New-York.
4:00pm Turning Tide
After his friend Franck breaks a leg, Yann Kermadec steps in to skipper a high-tech yacht for the Vendee Globe, a strictly solo three month round-the-world yacht race. Early misfortune sees Yann’s boat briefly laid up in the Canary Islands, but when he rejoins the race, he discovers he is now carrying a teenage stowaway, Mano. Realizing his long cherished dream of winning the Vendée Globe is now imperiled by the presence of the young Mauritian, a furious Yann refuses to speak to the boy. However slowly his hostility gives way to empathy and an understanding of Mano’s predicament.
6:30pm 2 Autumns, 3 Winters
Thirty-three year old Aman decides to start his new life with an evening jog-and literally runs into the love of his life, Amélie. Aman’s best friend Benjamin suffers from a mild stroke-which leads him to physical therapist Katia. So begins this fresh and surprising comedy about love, accidents and memories.
9:00pm Finally, Sunday!
When Julien is accused of murdering his wife and his wife’s lover, his secretary, Barbara is determined to clear his name.
Friday 14 March
1:30pm Folies Bergère
Long married 50-somethings Brigitte and Xavier are prize cattle breeders in regional France. Life is good, but the departure of their children from home has thrown Brigitte’s world into flux, as she finds herself locked into routine. She keeps hoping for something else, something more.
4:00pm Attila Marcel
Until now, Paul’s existence has been sheltered and strange. The thirty-something man has lived all his life in a drab Paris apartment with two aunts and a daily routine of constant piano practice. When Paul meets an eccentric neighbor and tries her herbal brew, he uncovers deeply buried childhood memories-and a key to unlocking the great mystery of his life.
6:30pm Bright Days Ahead
When Caroline retires she finds that her new found freedom quickly turns to boredom. Taking the plunge and joining a seniors’ club, she strikes up a relationship with a young computer science teacher and local ladies’ man, Julien, who is half her age. This soon turns into a passionate amour fou, complicated by their age difference, Caroline’s marriage and Julien’s string of other lovers.
9:00pm True Friends
Fifty-something restaurateur Walter is obsessed with the truth. He will not permit an untruth to pass his lips, and applies this rigorous moral standard to all those around him. Unfortunately, his daughter Clémence, and two best friends, novelist Paul and bookstore owner Jacques, are not being as truthful as they could be. As Walter prepares his latest restaurant for its opening night, desperate for his first Michelin star, the dishonesty of those closest to him shields him from the drama unfolding in their lives.
Saturday 8 March
1:30pm Quai d’Orsay
Arthur Vlaminck, a recent graduate from the highly prestigious Ecole Nationale d’Administration, is hired by the minister Alexandre Taillard de Vorms to work at the foreign ministry drafting speeches for the minister himself. His lack of previous political experience makes him an easy target for the power struggles and back- stabbing of the minister’s support network of advisers and back room staff. And it’s not long before he’s spinning between the minister, his chief of staff and a cabal of hard- nosed technocrats. Gradually Arthur learns the skills he needs to survive and find his place in the cut-throat world of high-level international diplomacy.
4:00pm Under The Rainbow
Laura has always dreamed of the perfect fairy tale romance. When she meets an aspiring composer, Sandro, she knows straight away that he is her prince charming. But what happens in the fairy tale when prince number two appears?
6:30pm Violette
Violette follows the compelling story of novelist Violette Leduc and her struggle to find her voice as a writer. Scarred by both a childhood trauma and a loveless marriage, Violette finds a complex mentor in Simone de Beauvoir and gains entry to a world of literary giants.
9:30pm Me, Myself and Mum
It deals with the relationship between Guillaume, and his overbearing mother, who brings him up as an effeminate boy while his two siblings bond with his macho father and go off on rugby weekends. Guillaume indulges in more gentle pursuits, such as a holiday in Spain where he is taught to dance-except he learns all the female moves to much hilarity from the assembled company.
Sunday 9 March
12:15pm Jacques Brel, the Home Stretch
Voted the greatest Belgian of all time, the singer/songwriter/actor/director Jacques Brel left an extraordinary legacy upon his early death in 1978. The documentary looks at the final stage of Brel’s life, when, battling cancer, he retreated from public view to sail the Pacific, finding solace in the Marquesas Islands.
1:30pm Homeland
When 26-year-old law student Farid is asked by his father to go to Algeria and save the family house from demolition, he has no idea what to expect. He speaks only a little Arabic, he is frustrated by the local customs, and he can’t appreciate the country’s beauty. Little by little, however, Farid falls in love with his father’s homeland, as well as a beautiful girl from the village.
4:00pm Folies Bergère
Long married 50-somethings Brigitte and Xavier are prize cattle breeders in regional France. Life is good, but the departure of their children from home has thrown Brigitte’s world into flux, as she finds herself locked into routine. She keeps hoping for something else, something more.
6:30pm Just a Sigh
Alix is a forty-three year old actress en route to Paris for an audition. With a broken mobile phone and a maxed-out credit card, Alix is momentarily loosened from the moorings that anchor her to modern life and to her boyfriend. A brief train conversation with an enigmatic stranger Douglas, sets her on a path of spontaneous decisions with both the promise and the risk of new beginnings.
9:00pm 11.6
Security van driver Toni Musulin leads a structured, normal existence. Or so it appears. Boredom with his partner, frustration with his routine and resentment towards his employers simmer beneath the surface. Gradually he sets out to enact an improbable act of revenge-disappearing with the contents of his own van.
Monday 10 March
1:30pm A Castle in Italy
Louise is an ex-actress struggling to hold her once wealthy family together and keep them connected to their beautiful estate in Piedmonte. Life becomes more complicated when Louise begins a relationship with smouldering Nathan whose father Louise may already know too well. As the film moves along briskly, it deftly and intelligently deals with family relationships, love, responsibility, commitment and the risks of genuine honesty. The story is semi-autobiographical, drawing from Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi’s own experiences.
4:00pm Taking Off
Now that he is approaching the age of 30, Romain has decided it’s time to re-evaluate. For too long he has watched his life drift by without acting on his true feelings. Struggling to cope with an overbearing, manic-depressive brother and a father with a worrying neurodegenerative disease, Romain has always done what is expected of him without complaining. Ironically by being such a dutiful son and brother, he has become the black sheep of the family.
6:30pm Tour de Force
Family man François Nouel is the number one fan of the Tour de France-an obsession that costs him his wife and his job. At a loose end, François meets a former sports manager, Rémi who encourages him to take the plunge and do the Tour himself. With nothing to lose, François sets off, always one day ahead of the race, attracting fellow amateurs, media coverage and cheering crowds. As obstacle after obstacle is thrown his way, and his family comes back on the scene, François discovers what is really most important in his life.
9:00pm Domestic Life
How does a modern woman balance the demands of family and career? The film is a critical yet sympathetic depiction of 24 hours in the lives of several women. Stifled by her unimaginative husband, Juliette struggles with the demands of home and yearns to work in a publishing house.
Tuesday 11 March
1:30pm Venus in Fur
Thomas Novachek is struggling to cast the lead in his theatrical production of the notorious Sacher-Masoch novella of the title. As if on cue, the abrasive and brash Vanda appears at the auditions. With the play already memorized and an unnerving way of completely inhabiting the dominatrix role, Vanda casts an intoxicating spell on Thomas that spirals into a power play beyond the stage.
4:00pm Our Heroes Died Tonight
Set in the criminal milieu surrounding professional wrestling in the 1960s, the story follows Victor, a gentle giant who turns to wrestling as a career after returning from a stint with the Foreign Legion in Algeria. Victor’s friend Simon, already established as “The Spectre” in the wrestling world, helps him to create an alter ego, “The Butcher”, and together they forge a lucrative rivalry. A decision to switch masks, however, leads to dire consequences as the pair runs afoul of match-riggers and hit men in a spiral of mortal danger.
????? Examiner
7:00pm Jappeloup (Special Event)
Jappeloup is the inspirational true story of one man and his horse, who together achieved one of France’s greatest Olympic victories. Pierre Durand decides to leave a legal career to follow his equestrian dream. He sees something special in a small and stubborn colt called Jappeloup and decides to reach for gold in the competitive world of show jumping. Supported by his father and fellow rider Nadia, Pierre falters as he comes tantalizingly close to ultimate success. Can he defy the odds to take his beloved horse to success in the Seoul games of 1988?
9:30pm Violette
Violette follows the compelling story of novelist Violette Leduc and her struggle to find her voice as a writer. Scarred by both a childhood trauma and a loveless marriage, Violette finds a complex mentor in Simone de Beauvoir and gains entry to a world of literary giants.
Wednesday 12 March
1:30pm Tour de Force
Family man François Nouel is the number one fan of the Tour de France-an obsession that costs him his wife and his job. At a loose end, François meets a former sports manager, Rémi who encourages him to take the plunge and do the Tour himself. With nothing to lose, François sets off, always one day ahead of the race, attracting fellow amateurs, media coverage and cheering crowds. As obstacle after obstacle is thrown his way, and his family comes back on the scene, François discovers what is really most important in his life.
4:00pm Mademoiselle C.
As one of the most revered doyens of modern fashion, Carine Roitfeld’s tenure as editor-in-chief at Vogue Paris defined a new age of French fashion. Following Carine Roitfeld as she embarks on the launch of her new magazine, the documentary Mademoiselle C. is a delicious immersion in the glamorous world of the catwalk.
6:30pm Wrestling Queens
Seeking to reconnect with the estranged son she had as a teenager, 30-year-old Rose decides to capture his attention by appealing to his number one obsession: wrestling. Enlisting three fellow supermarket check-out clerks, she forms a troupe and the Wrestling Queens (Les reines du ring) are born.
9:00pm Cycling with Molière
Serge is a retired great actor, living as a recluse amid the windswept landscape of the Île de Ré. Gauthier, a fellow actor currently enjoying a career high as a TV heartthrob, visits Serge and tempts him to make a comeback with a production of Molière’s play, The Misanthrope. Before agreeing, Serge insists on seven days of rehearsal. The addition of a mysterious Italian divorcée as a love interest adds a deliciously romantic frisson to this hilarious and brilliantly acted take on the classic French comedy of manners.
Thursday 13 March
1:30pm Suzanne
Suzanne spent her childhood in a loving but working-class home with her adoring elder sister Maria and their widowed father Nicolas. Barely into her teenage years, Suzanne falls pregnant, and declares that she will keep the baby; she decides to choose love above all else-an attitude that will trigger irrevocable consequences for her entire family.
4:00pm Finally, Sunday!
When Julien is accused of murdering his wife and his wife’s lover, his secretary, Barbara is determined to clear his name.
6:30pm Turning Tide
After his friend Franck breaks a leg, Yann Kermadec steps in to skipper a high-tech yacht for the Vendee Globe, a strictly solo three month round-the-world yacht race. Early misfortune sees Yann’s boat briefly laid up in the Canary Islands, but when he rejoins the race, he discovers he is now carrying a teenage stowaway, Mano. Realizing his long cherished dream of winning the Vendée Globe is now imperiled by the presence of the young Mauritian, a furious Yann refuses to speak to the boy. However slowly his hostility gives way to empathy and an understanding of Mano’s predicament.
9:00pm Suzanne
Suzanne spent her childhood in a loving but working-class home with her adoring elder sister Maria and their widowed father Nicolas. Barely into her teenage years, Suzanne falls pregnant, and declares that she will keep the baby; she decides to choose love above all else-an attitude that will trigger irrevocable consequences for her entire family.
Friday 14 March
1:30pm Going Away
Baptiste is an inspiring primary school teacher, who finds himself looking after Mathias, one of his students for a weekend. When Baptiste takes Mathias back to his mother, the radiant, impulsive Sandra, he is instantly enchanted. For three beautiful days of the Whitsun holiday, a new beginning and new love seem possible with their troubled pasts a distant memory. However all too soon Sandra’s problems threaten their fragile idyll, and Baptiste is forced to make a choice: help Sandra and face his dark past or walk away again.
4:00pm A Castle in Italy
Louise is an ex-actress struggling to hold her once wealthy family together and keep them connected to their beautiful estate in Piedmonte. Life becomes more complicated when Louise begins a relationship with smouldering Nathan whose father Louise may already know too well. As the film moves along briskly, it deftly and intelligently deals with family relationships, love, responsibility, commitment and the risks of genuine honesty. The story is semi-autobiographical, drawing from Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi’s own experiences.
6:30pm Bright Days Ahead
When Caroline retires she finds that her new found freedom quickly turns to boredom. Taking the plunge and joining a seniors’ club, she strikes up a relationship with a young computer science teacher and local ladies’ man, Julien, who is half her age. This soon turns into a passionate amour fou, complicated by their age difference, Caroline’s marriage and Julien’s string of other lovers.
9:00pm Populaire
Set in the late 1950s, Populaire‘s heroine is Rose Pamphyle, a girl who lives with her widowed father, but yearns for so much more than the aimless life her inevitable marriage to the local mechanic’s son promises. Travelling out of her small town in Normandy in search of a job, she is interviewed by an insurance agent: the suave, driven Louis Échard, who discovers she possesses an unworldly ability to type. Once a gifted boxer and runner, Louis now becomes Rose’s coach and soon begins preparing her for the world speed typing championships in New-York.
Saturday 15 March
1:30pm My Mommy is in America
The family of six-year-old Jean has still not told him that his mother has passed away. The boy simply believes his mum is on holiday-a ruse maintained by the girl next door, Michèle who creates exotic postcards from Jean’s mother, which feed the boy’s imagination about his mum’s amazing adventures. While her absence is never openly addressed, the spirit of Jean’s mother is always around. At the same time, the story follows the boy’s everyday life at school, his friends and his hijinks.
4:00pm Quai d’Orsay
Arthur Vlaminck, a recent graduate from the highly prestigious Ecole Nationale d’Administration, is hired by the minister Alexandre Taillard de Vorms to work at the foreign ministry drafting speeches for the minister himself. His lack of previous political experience makes him an easy target for the power struggles and back- stabbing of the minister’s support network of advisers and back room staff. And it’s not long before he’s spinning between the minister, his chief of staff and a cabal of hard- nosed technocrats. Gradually Arthur learns the skills he needs to survive and find his place in the cut-throat world of high-level international diplomacy.
6:30pm It Boy
Beautiful and talented Alice is in her late thirties, with her sights set on the top job at the haute couture fashion magazine, Rebelle. Unfortunately her uptight attitude makes her boss Vincent doubt she has what it takes. However when she meets the 20-year-old Balthazar, a chain of misunderstandings suddenly finds her with a newfound cougar persona that changes her image, and her career chances, for the better.
9:00pm The Finishers
Wheelchair-bound teenager Julien is the apple of his mother’s eye, but he yearns for the approval of his brooding and bitter father, Paul. With his youth as an iron-man champion behind him, Paul distances himself from his disabled son. When Julien suggests the seemingly crazy idea that they join forces to compete in a triathlon in Nice, an incredible journey of persistence and determination begins.
Sunday 16 March
1:30pm Belle and Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian is set high in the snowy Alps during the Second World War. The resourceful Sebastian is a lonely boy who tames and befriends a giant, wild mountain dog, Belle-even though the villagers believe her to be ‘the beast’ that has been killing their sheep.
4:00pm Going Away
Baptiste is an inspiring primary school teacher, who finds himself looking after Mathias, one of his students for a weekend. When Baptiste takes Mathias back to his mother, the radiant, impulsive Sandra, he is instantly enchanted. For three beautiful days of the Whitsun holiday, a new beginning and new love seem possible with their troubled pasts a distant memory. However all too soon Sandra’s problems threaten their fragile idyll, and Baptiste is forced to make a choice: help Sandra and face his dark past or walk away again.
6:30pm Our Heroes Died Tonight
Set in the criminal milieu surrounding professional wrestling in the 1960s, the story follows Victor, a gentle giant who turns to wrestling as a career after returning from a stint with the Foreign Legion in Algeria. Victor’s friend Simon, already established as “The Spectre” in the wrestling world, helps him to create an alter ego, “The Butcher”, and together they forge a lucrative rivalry. A decision to switch masks, however, leads to dire consequences as the pair runs afoul of match-riggers and hit men in a spiral of mortal danger.
????? Examiner
9:00pm Michael Kohlhaas
After repeatedly being cheated, horse trader Michael Kohlhaas dares to confront the corrupt local Baron but is frustrated at every step by the equally corrupt courts. His campaign for his rights is met by escalating violence and cruelty, until a truly heinous crime sends Michael on a mission for vengeance.
Monday 17 March
1:30pm Jappeloup
Jappeloup is the inspirational true story of one man and his horse, who together achieved one of France’s greatest Olympic victories. Pierre Durand decides to leave a legal career to follow his equestrian dream. He sees something special in a small and stubborn colt called Jappeloup and decides to reach for gold in the competitive world of show jumping. Supported by his father and fellow rider Nadia, Pierre falters as he comes tantalizingly close to ultimate success. Can he defy the odds to take his beloved horse to success in the Seoul games of 1988?
4:00pm 11.6
Security van driver Toni Musulin leads a structured, normal existence. Or so it appears. Boredom with his partner, frustration with his routine and resentment towards his employers simmer beneath the surface. Gradually he sets out to enact an improbable act of revenge-disappearing with the contents of his own van.
6:30pm The 400 Blows
The 400 Blows follows a 12-year-old boy, Antoine, as he negotiates his unravelling world, caught between the hostile indifference of his parents and the aggressive ignorance of his school teacher.
????? Eye For Film
9:00pm Friends from France
Set in the USSR in 1979, the film follows young engaged couple Carole and Jérôme on a vacation to Odessa-or at least that is their cover story. In fact they are Jewish cousins, on a secret mission to help ‘refuseniks’, Jews persecuted by the Soviet regime for wanting to leave the country. Together they explore the dangerous world of Breshnev’s Russia, filled with many dark undercurrents-a place where it’s dangerous to trust anyone.
Tuesday 18 March
1:30pm It Boy
Beautiful and talented Alice is in her late thirties, with her sights set on the top job at the haute couture fashion magazine, Rebelle. Unfortunately her uptight attitude makes her boss Vincent doubt she has what it takes. However when she meets the 20-year-old Balthazar, a chain of misunderstandings suddenly finds her with a newfound cougar persona that changes her image, and her career chances, for the better.
4:00pm Family Matters
Gaspard Dassonville is a 63-year-old lothario television producer who refuses to grow old gracefully. However, the harsh reality of adult responsibility and old age catches up with him, in the form of his feisty but infirm father, Hubert, who comes to live with him. The incorrigible duo become a trio when a nurse, Zana arrives with dubious references and a wild imagination. A flighty, vivacious, free-spirited Zana enchants both men, but for different reasons. After the inevitable showdown over this unconventional woman, Gaspard and Hubert find their relationship invigorated rather than diminished, and slowly they rediscover one another.
6:30pm Attila Marcel
Until now, Paul’s existence has been sheltered and strange. The thirty-something man has lived all his life in a drab Paris apartment with two aunts and a daily routine of constant piano practice. When Paul meets an eccentric neighbor and tries her herbal brew, he uncovers deeply buried childhood memories-and a key to unlocking the great mystery of his life.
9:00pm Violette
Violette follows the compelling story of novelist Violette Leduc and her struggle to find her voice as a writer. Scarred by both a childhood trauma and a loveless marriage, Violette finds a complex mentor in Simone de Beauvoir and gains entry to a world of literary giants.
Wednesday 19 March
1:30pm Turning Tide
After his friend Franck breaks a leg, Yann Kermadec steps in to skipper a high-tech yacht for the Vendee Globe, a strictly solo three month round-the-world yacht race. Early misfortune sees Yann’s boat briefly laid up in the Canary Islands, but when he rejoins the race, he discovers he is now carrying a teenage stowaway, Mano. Realizing his long cherished dream of winning the Vendée Globe is now imperiled by the presence of the young Mauritian, a furious Yann refuses to speak to the boy. However slowly his hostility gives way to empathy and an understanding of Mano’s predicament.
4:00pm 2 Autumns, 3 Winters
Thirty-three year old Aman decides to start his new life with an evening jog-and literally runs into the love of his life, Amélie. Aman’s best friend Benjamin suffers from a mild stroke-which leads him to physical therapist Katia. So begins this fresh and surprising comedy about love, accidents and memories.
6:30pm Jules and Jim
The story of two friends, Jules and Jim in the whirlwind era of La Belle Époque. The two men enjoy a Bohemian life, but when they are both captivated by the capricious Catherine, a complicated struggle between love and friendship begins.
9:00pm Just a Sigh
Alix is a forty-three year old actress en route to Paris for an audition. With a broken mobile phone and a maxed-out credit card, Alix is momentarily loosened from the moorings that anchor her to modern life and to her boyfriend. A brief train conversation with an enigmatic stranger Douglas, sets her on a path of spontaneous decisions with both the promise and the risk of new beginnings.
Thursday 20 March
1:30pm Suzanne
Suzanne spent her childhood in a loving but working-class home with her adoring elder sister Maria and their widowed father Nicolas. Barely into her teenage years, Suzanne falls pregnant, and declares that she will keep the baby; she decides to choose love above all else-an attitude that will trigger irrevocable consequences for her entire family.
4:00pm The 400 Blows
The 400 Blows follows a 12-year-old boy, Antoine, as he negotiates his unravelling world, caught between the hostile indifference of his parents and the aggressive ignorance of his school teacher.
????? Eye For Film
6:30pm Populaire
Set in the late 1950s, Populaire‘s heroine is Rose Pamphyle, a girl who lives with her widowed father, but yearns for so much more than the aimless life her inevitable marriage to the local mechanic’s son promises. Travelling out of her small town in Normandy in search of a job, she is interviewed by an insurance agent: the suave, driven Louis Échard, who discovers she possesses an unworldly ability to type. Once a gifted boxer and runner, Louis now becomes Rose’s coach and soon begins preparing her for the world speed typing championships in New-York.
9:00pm Turning Tide
After his friend Franck breaks a leg, Yann Kermadec steps in to skipper a high-tech yacht for the Vendee Globe, a strictly solo three month round-the-world yacht race. Early misfortune sees Yann’s boat briefly laid up in the Canary Islands, but when he rejoins the race, he discovers he is now carrying a teenage stowaway, Mano. Realizing his long cherished dream of winning the Vendée Globe is now imperiled by the presence of the young Mauritian, a furious Yann refuses to speak to the boy. However slowly his hostility gives way to empathy and an understanding of Mano’s predicament.
Friday 21 March
1:30pm The Finishers
Wheelchair-bound teenager Julien is the apple of his mother’s eye, but he yearns for the approval of his brooding and bitter father, Paul. With his youth as an iron-man champion behind him, Paul distances himself from his disabled son. When Julien suggests the seemingly crazy idea that they join forces to compete in a triathlon in Nice, an incredible journey of persistence and determination begins.
4:00pm Cycling with Molière
Serge is a retired great actor, living as a recluse amid the windswept landscape of the Île de Ré. Gauthier, a fellow actor currently enjoying a career high as a TV heartthrob, visits Serge and tempts him to make a comeback with a production of Molière’s play, The Misanthrope. Before agreeing, Serge insists on seven days of rehearsal. The addition of a mysterious Italian divorcée as a love interest adds a deliciously romantic frisson to this hilarious and brilliantly acted take on the classic French comedy of manners.
6:30pm Venus in Fur
Thomas Novachek is struggling to cast the lead in his theatrical production of the notorious Sacher-Masoch novella of the title. As if on cue, the abrasive and brash Vanda appears at the auditions. With the play already memorized and an unnerving way of completely inhabiting the dominatrix role, Vanda casts an intoxicating spell on Thomas that spirals into a power play beyond the stage.
9:00pm Jappeloup
Jappeloup is the inspirational true story of one man and his horse, who together achieved one of France’s greatest Olympic victories. Pierre Durand decides to leave a legal career to follow his equestrian dream. He sees something special in a small and stubborn colt called Jappeloup and decides to reach for gold in the competitive world of show jumping. Supported by his father and fellow rider Nadia, Pierre falters as he comes tantalizingly close to ultimate success. Can he defy the odds to take his beloved horse to success in the Seoul games of 1988?
Saturday 22 March
12:15pm And Sail to the Australes
Come aboard the good ship Tuhaa Pae II, which served the Austral Islands for 32 years by ferrying vital food, goods and freight. In Gil Breussail’s beautifully shot and informative documentary you will meet the beloved ship’s crew, learn how one vessel played an important role in a changing society, and see life today among the colorful harbors and far-flung, sun-drenched archipelagos of the Pacific.
1:30pm Belle and Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian is set high in the snowy Alps during the Second World War. The resourceful Sebastian is a lonely boy who tames and befriends a giant, wild mountain dog, Belle-even though the villagers believe her to be ‘the beast’ that has been killing their sheep.
4:00pm The Finishers
Wheelchair-bound teenager Julien is the apple of his mother’s eye, but he yearns for the approval of his brooding and bitter father, Paul. With his youth as an iron-man champion behind him, Paul distances himself from his disabled son. When Julien suggests the seemingly crazy idea that they join forces to compete in a triathlon in Nice, an incredible journey of persistence and determination begins.
6:30pm It Boy
Beautiful and talented Alice is in her late thirties, with her sights set on the top job at the haute couture fashion magazine, Rebelle. Unfortunately her uptight attitude makes her boss Vincent doubt she has what it takes. However when she meets the 20-year-old Balthazar, a chain of misunderstandings suddenly finds her with a newfound cougar persona that changes her image, and her career chances, for the better.
9:00pm Grand Central
Grand Central is the story of Gary, an aimless and unskilled worker who lands himself a job at a nuclear reactor. Almost immediately he finds himself ignoring the warning signs and venturing where he shouldn’t: into the arms of a co-worker’s fiancée.
Sunday 23 March
1:30pm Mademoiselle C.
As one of the most revered doyens of modern fashion, Carine Roitfeld’s tenure as editor-in-chief at Vogue Paris defined a new age of French fashion. Following Carine Roitfeld as she embarks on the launch of her new magazine, the documentary Mademoiselle C. is a delicious immersion in the glamorous world of the catwalk.
4:00pm The Finishers
Wheelchair-bound teenager Julien is the apple of his mother’s eye, but he yearns for the approval of his brooding and bitter father, Paul. With his youth as an iron-man champion behind him, Paul distances himself from his disabled son. When Julien suggests the seemingly crazy idea that they join forces to compete in a triathlon in Nice, an incredible journey of persistence and determination begins.
6:30pm Camille Claudel 1915
Troubled sculptress Camille Claudel has been confined to an asylum for two years following the collapse of her affair with fellow artist, Auguste Rodin. Isolated from the outside world, she pleads the case for her sanity with doctors. A visit from her pious brother Paul seems to hold the hope for her release, but first he must be persuaded that she isn’t possessed by the devil.
@Palace Westgarth
Thursday 6 March
1:30pm Cycling with Molière
Serge is a retired great actor, living as a recluse amid the windswept landscape of the Île de Ré. Gauthier, a fellow actor currently enjoying a career high as a TV heartthrob, visits Serge and tempts him to make a comeback with a production of Molière’s play, The Misanthrope. Before agreeing, Serge insists on seven days of rehearsal. The addition of a mysterious Italian divorcée as a love interest adds a deliciously romantic frisson to this hilarious and brilliantly acted take on the classic French comedy of manners.
4:00pm Folies Bergère
Long married 50-somethings Brigitte and Xavier are prize cattle breeders in regional France. Life is good, but the departure of their children from home has thrown Brigitte’s world into flux, as she finds herself locked into routine. She keeps hoping for something else, something more.
6:45pm Jappeloup
Jappeloup is the inspirational true story of one man and his horse, who together achieved one of France’s greatest Olympic victories. Pierre Durand decides to leave a legal career to follow his equestrian dream. He sees something special in a small and stubborn colt called Jappeloup and decides to reach for gold in the competitive world of show jumping. Supported by his father and fellow rider Nadia, Pierre falters as he comes tantalizingly close to ultimate success. Can he defy the odds to take his beloved horse to success in the Seoul games of 1988?
9:30pm The 400 Blows
The 400 Blows follows a 12-year-old boy, Antoine, as he negotiates his unravelling world, caught between the hostile indifference of his parents and the aggressive ignorance of his school teacher.
????? Eye For Film
Friday 7 March
1:30pm Michael Kohlhaas
After repeatedly being cheated, horse trader Michael Kohlhaas dares to confront the corrupt local Baron but is frustrated at every step by the equally corrupt courts. His campaign for his rights is met by escalating violence and cruelty, until a truly heinous crime sends Michael on a mission for vengeance.
4:00pm Jappeloup
Jappeloup is the inspirational true story of one man and his horse, who together achieved one of France’s greatest Olympic victories. Pierre Durand decides to leave a legal career to follow his equestrian dream. He sees something special in a small and stubborn colt called Jappeloup and decides to reach for gold in the competitive world of show jumping. Supported by his father and fellow rider Nadia, Pierre falters as he comes tantalizingly close to ultimate success. Can he defy the odds to take his beloved horse to success in the Seoul games of 1988?
7:00pm Just a Sigh
Alix is a forty-three year old actress en route to Paris for an audition. With a broken mobile phone and a maxed-out credit card, Alix is momentarily loosened from the moorings that anchor her to modern life and to her boyfriend. A brief train conversation with an enigmatic stranger Douglas, sets her on a path of spontaneous decisions with both the promise and the risk of new beginnings.
9:15pm 2 Autumns, 3 Winters
Thirty-three year old Aman decides to start his new life with an evening jog-and literally runs into the love of his life, Amélie. Aman’s best friend Benjamin suffers from a mild stroke-which leads him to physical therapist Katia. So begins this fresh and surprising comedy about love, accidents and memories.
Saturday 8 March
12:15pm A Castle in Italy
Louise is an ex-actress struggling to hold her once wealthy family together and keep them connected to their beautiful estate in Piedmonte. Life becomes more complicated when Louise begins a relationship with smouldering Nathan whose father Louise may already know too well. As the film moves along briskly, it deftly and intelligently deals with family relationships, love, responsibility, commitment and the risks of genuine honesty. The story is semi-autobiographical, drawing from Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi’s own experiences.
2:45pm Homeland
When 26-year-old law student Farid is asked by his father to go to Algeria and save the family house from demolition, he has no idea what to expect. He speaks only a little Arabic, he is frustrated by the local customs, and he can’t appreciate the country’s beauty. Little by little, however, Farid falls in love with his father’s homeland, as well as a beautiful girl from the village.
4:45pm Our Heroes Died Tonight
Set in the criminal milieu surrounding professional wrestling in the 1960s, the story follows Victor, a gentle giant who turns to wrestling as a career after returning from a stint with the Foreign Legion in Algeria. Victor’s friend Simon, already established as “The Spectre” in the wrestling world, helps him to create an alter ego, “The Butcher”, and together they forge a lucrative rivalry. A decision to switch masks, however, leads to dire consequences as the pair runs afoul of match-riggers and hit men in a spiral of mortal danger.
????? Examiner
7:00pm Grand Central
Grand Central is the story of Gary, an aimless and unskilled worker who lands himself a job at a nuclear reactor. Almost immediately he finds himself ignoring the warning signs and venturing where he shouldn’t: into the arms of a co-worker’s fiancée.
9:15pm Venus in Fur
Thomas Novachek is struggling to cast the lead in his theatrical production of the notorious Sacher-Masoch novella of the title. As if on cue, the abrasive and brash Vanda appears at the auditions. With the play already memorized and an unnerving way of completely inhabiting the dominatrix role, Vanda casts an intoxicating spell on Thomas that spirals into a power play beyond the stage.
Sunday 9 March
1:30pm A Castle in Italy
Louise is an ex-actress struggling to hold her once wealthy family together and keep them connected to their beautiful estate in Piedmonte. Life becomes more complicated when Louise begins a relationship with smouldering Nathan whose father Louise may already know too well. As the film moves along briskly, it deftly and intelligently deals with family relationships, love, responsibility, commitment and the risks of genuine honesty. The story is semi-autobiographical, drawing from Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi’s own experiences.
4:00pm Violette
Violette follows the compelling story of novelist Violette Leduc and her struggle to find her voice as a writer. Scarred by both a childhood trauma and a loveless marriage, Violette finds a complex mentor in Simone de Beauvoir and gains entry to a world of literary giants.
7:00pm Bright Days Ahead
When Caroline retires she finds that her new found freedom quickly turns to boredom. Taking the plunge and joining a seniors’ club, she strikes up a relationship with a young computer science teacher and local ladies’ man, Julien, who is half her age. This soon turns into a passionate amour fou, complicated by their age difference, Caroline’s marriage and Julien’s string of other lovers.
9:15pm Going Away
Baptiste is an inspiring primary school teacher, who finds himself looking after Mathias, one of his students for a weekend. When Baptiste takes Mathias back to his mother, the radiant, impulsive Sandra, he is instantly enchanted. For three beautiful days of the Whitsun holiday, a new beginning and new love seem possible with their troubled pasts a distant memory. However all too soon Sandra’s problems threaten their fragile idyll, and Baptiste is forced to make a choice: help Sandra and face his dark past or walk away again.
Monday 10 March
1:30pm Quai d’Orsay
Arthur Vlaminck, a recent graduate from the highly prestigious Ecole Nationale d’Administration, is hired by the minister Alexandre Taillard de Vorms to work at the foreign ministry drafting speeches for the minister himself. His lack of previous political experience makes him an easy target for the power struggles and back- stabbing of the minister’s support network of advisers and back room staff. And it’s not long before he’s spinning between the minister, his chief of staff and a cabal of hard- nosed technocrats. Gradually Arthur learns the skills he needs to survive and find his place in the cut-throat world of high-level international diplomacy.
4:00pm Camille Claudel 1915
Troubled sculptress Camille Claudel has been confined to an asylum for two years following the collapse of her affair with fellow artist, Auguste Rodin. Isolated from the outside world, she pleads the case for her sanity with doctors. A visit from her pious brother Paul seems to hold the hope for her release, but first he must be persuaded that she isn’t possessed by the devil.
7:00pm True Friends
Fifty-something restaurateur Walter is obsessed with the truth. He will not permit an untruth to pass his lips, and applies this rigorous moral standard to all those around him. Unfortunately, his daughter Clémence, and two best friends, novelist Paul and bookstore owner Jacques, are not being as truthful as they could be. As Walter prepares his latest restaurant for its opening night, desperate for his first Michelin star, the dishonesty of those closest to him shields him from the drama unfolding in their lives.
9:15pm Michael Kohlhaas
After repeatedly being cheated, horse trader Michael Kohlhaas dares to confront the corrupt local Baron but is frustrated at every step by the equally corrupt courts. His campaign for his rights is met by escalating violence and cruelty, until a truly heinous crime sends Michael on a mission for vengeance.
Tuesday 11 March
1:30pm Mademoiselle C.
As one of the most revered doyens of modern fashion, Carine Roitfeld’s tenure as editor-in-chief at Vogue Paris defined a new age of French fashion. Following Carine Roitfeld as she embarks on the launch of her new magazine, the documentary Mademoiselle C. is a delicious immersion in the glamorous world of the catwalk.
4:00pm Suzanne
Suzanne spent her childhood in a loving but working-class home with her adoring elder sister Maria and their widowed father Nicolas. Barely into her teenage years, Suzanne falls pregnant, and declares that she will keep the baby; she decides to choose love above all else-an attitude that will trigger irrevocable consequences for her entire family.
7:00pm Populaire (Special Event)
Set in the late 1950s, Populaire‘s heroine is Rose Pamphyle, a girl who lives with her widowed father, but yearns for so much more than the aimless life her inevitable marriage to the local mechanic’s son promises. Travelling out of her small town in Normandy in search of a job, she is interviewed by an insurance agent: the suave, driven Louis Échard, who discovers she possesses an unworldly ability to type. Once a gifted boxer and runner, Louis now becomes Rose’s coach and soon begins preparing her for the world speed typing championships in New-York.
9:30pm Attila Marcel
Until now, Paul’s existence has been sheltered and strange. The thirty-something man has lived all his life in a drab Paris apartment with two aunts and a daily routine of constant piano practice. When Paul meets an eccentric neighbor and tries her herbal brew, he uncovers deeply buried childhood memories-and a key to unlocking the great mystery of his life.
Wednesday 12 March
1:30pm 11.6
Security van driver Toni Musulin leads a structured, normal existence. Or so it appears. Boredom with his partner, frustration with his routine and resentment towards his employers simmer beneath the surface. Gradually he sets out to enact an improbable act of revenge-disappearing with the contents of his own van.
4:00pm Venus in Fur
Thomas Novachek is struggling to cast the lead in his theatrical production of the notorious Sacher-Masoch novella of the title. As if on cue, the abrasive and brash Vanda appears at the auditions. With the play already memorized and an unnerving way of completely inhabiting the dominatrix role, Vanda casts an intoxicating spell on Thomas that spirals into a power play beyond the stage.
7:00pm Turning Tide
After his friend Franck breaks a leg, Yann Kermadec steps in to skipper a high-tech yacht for the Vendee Globe, a strictly solo three month round-the-world yacht race. Early misfortune sees Yann’s boat briefly laid up in the Canary Islands, but when he rejoins the race, he discovers he is now carrying a teenage stowaway, Mano. Realizing his long cherished dream of winning the Vendée Globe is now imperiled by the presence of the young Mauritian, a furious Yann refuses to speak to the boy. However slowly his hostility gives way to empathy and an understanding of Mano’s predicament.
9:15pm Möbius
Monaco provides the glamorous setting for an undercover sting set up by Gregory Lioubov to entrap corrupt tycoon, Ivan Rostrovski. The brilliant and beautiful financial trader Alice, is enlisted to get close to Ivan, but first gets even closer to Gregory. Their torrid affair soon becomes a threat to the smooth unfolding of the operation as secrets and suspicions accumulate, and no one is exactly who they seem.
Thursday 13 March
1:30pm Our Heroes Died Tonight
Set in the criminal milieu surrounding professional wrestling in the 1960s, the story follows Victor, a gentle giant who turns to wrestling as a career after returning from a stint with the Foreign Legion in Algeria. Victor’s friend Simon, already established as “The Spectre” in the wrestling world, helps him to create an alter ego, “The Butcher”, and together they forge a lucrative rivalry. A decision to switch masks, however, leads to dire consequences as the pair runs afoul of match-riggers and hit men in a spiral of mortal danger.
????? Examiner
4:00pm Populaire
Set in the late 1950s, Populaire‘s heroine is Rose Pamphyle, a girl who lives with her widowed father, but yearns for so much more than the aimless life her inevitable marriage to the local mechanic’s son promises. Travelling out of her small town in Normandy in search of a job, she is interviewed by an insurance agent: the suave, driven Louis Échard, who discovers she possesses an unworldly ability to type. Once a gifted boxer and runner, Louis now becomes Rose’s coach and soon begins preparing her for the world speed typing championships in New-York.
7:00pm Wrestling Queens
Seeking to reconnect with the estranged son she had as a teenager, 30-year-old Rose decides to capture his attention by appealing to his number one obsession: wrestling. Enlisting three fellow supermarket check-out clerks, she forms a troupe and the Wrestling Queens (Les reines du ring) are born.
Ousmane is a risk-taking, rule-breaking plainclothes detective working in the rough Paris suburbs. When a wealthy woman winds up dead in the hood, Ousmane has to partner with slick city cop, François, to track down the killers. Soon the stakes are raised, and the odd couple partners discover that both sides have more in common than they realised.
Friday 14 March
1:30pm Just a Sigh
Alix is a forty-three year old actress en route to Paris for an audition. With a broken mobile phone and a maxed-out credit card, Alix is momentarily loosened from the moorings that anchor her to modern life and to her boyfriend. A brief train conversation with an enigmatic stranger Douglas, sets her on a path of spontaneous decisions with both the promise and the risk of new beginnings.
4:00pm The Finishers
Wheelchair-bound teenager Julien is the apple of his mother’s eye, but he yearns for the approval of his brooding and bitter father, Paul. With his youth as an iron-man champion behind him, Paul distances himself from his disabled son. When Julien suggests the seemingly crazy idea that they join forces to compete in a triathlon in Nice, an incredible journey of persistence and determination begins.
7:00pm The Finishers
Wheelchair-bound teenager Julien is the apple of his mother’s eye, but he yearns for the approval of his brooding and bitter father, Paul. With his youth as an iron-man champion behind him, Paul distances himself from his disabled son. When Julien suggests the seemingly crazy idea that they join forces to compete in a triathlon in Nice, an incredible journey of persistence and determination begins.
9:15pm Me, Myself and Mum
It deals with the relationship between Guillaume, and his overbearing mother, who brings him up as an effeminate boy while his two siblings bond with his macho father and go off on rugby weekends. Guillaume indulges in more gentle pursuits, such as a holiday in Spain where he is taught to dance-except he learns all the female moves to much hilarity from the assembled company.
Saturday 15 March
1:00pm And Sail to the Australes
Come aboard the good ship Tuhaa Pae II, which served the Austral Islands for 32 years by ferrying vital food, goods and freight. In Gil Breussail’s beautifully shot and informative documentary you will meet the beloved ship’s crew, learn how one vessel played an important role in a changing society, and see life today among the colorful harbors and far-flung, sun-drenched archipelagos of the Pacific.
2:30pm Wrestling Queens
Seeking to reconnect with the estranged son she had as a teenager, 30-year-old Rose decides to capture his attention by appealing to his number one obsession: wrestling. Enlisting three fellow supermarket check-out clerks, she forms a troupe and the Wrestling Queens (Les reines du ring) are born.
4:45pm Domestic Life
How does a modern woman balance the demands of family and career? The film is a critical yet sympathetic depiction of 24 hours in the lives of several women. Stifled by her unimaginative husband, Juliette struggles with the demands of home and yearns to work in a publishing house.
6:45pm Jappeloup
Jappeloup is the inspirational true story of one man and his horse, who together achieved one of France’s greatest Olympic victories. Pierre Durand decides to leave a legal career to follow his equestrian dream. He sees something special in a small and stubborn colt called Jappeloup and decides to reach for gold in the competitive world of show jumping. Supported by his father and fellow rider Nadia, Pierre falters as he comes tantalizingly close to ultimate success. Can he defy the odds to take his beloved horse to success in the Seoul games of 1988?
9:30pm Bright Days Ahead
When Caroline retires she finds that her new found freedom quickly turns to boredom. Taking the plunge and joining a seniors’ club, she strikes up a relationship with a young computer science teacher and local ladies’ man, Julien, who is half her age. This soon turns into a passionate amour fou, complicated by their age difference, Caroline’s marriage and Julien’s string of other lovers.
Sunday 16 March
On the night of July 3rd, 1953, the ship La Monique vanished between the New Caledonia islands of Maré and Grande Terre. The wreck, and its 126 passengers, were never found. This powerful story remains relevant today for the people of this pacific island paradise.
3:00pm 2 Autumns, 3 Winters
Thirty-three year old Aman decides to start his new life with an evening jog-and literally runs into the love of his life, Amélie. Aman’s best friend Benjamin suffers from a mild stroke-which leads him to physical therapist Katia. So begins this fresh and surprising comedy about love, accidents and memories.
5:00pm It Boy
Beautiful and talented Alice is in her late thirties, with her sights set on the top job at the haute couture fashion magazine, Rebelle. Unfortunately her uptight attitude makes her boss Vincent doubt she has what it takes. However when she meets the 20-year-old Balthazar, a chain of misunderstandings suddenly finds her with a newfound cougar persona that changes her image, and her career chances, for the better.
7:00pm Venus in Fur
Thomas Novachek is struggling to cast the lead in his theatrical production of the notorious Sacher-Masoch novella of the title. As if on cue, the abrasive and brash Vanda appears at the auditions. With the play already memorized and an unnerving way of completely inhabiting the dominatrix role, Vanda casts an intoxicating spell on Thomas that spirals into a power play beyond the stage.
9:15pm Taking Off
Now that he is approaching the age of 30, Romain has decided it’s time to re-evaluate. For too long he has watched his life drift by without acting on his true feelings. Struggling to cope with an overbearing, manic-depressive brother and a father with a worrying neurodegenerative disease, Romain has always done what is expected of him without complaining. Ironically by being such a dutiful son and brother, he has become the black sheep of the family.
Monday 17 March
1:30pm Homeland
When 26-year-old law student Farid is asked by his father to go to Algeria and save the family house from demolition, he has no idea what to expect. He speaks only a little Arabic, he is frustrated by the local customs, and he can’t appreciate the country’s beauty. Little by little, however, Farid falls in love with his father’s homeland, as well as a beautiful girl from the village.
4:00pm Turning Tide
After his friend Franck breaks a leg, Yann Kermadec steps in to skipper a high-tech yacht for the Vendee Globe, a strictly solo three month round-the-world yacht race. Early misfortune sees Yann’s boat briefly laid up in the Canary Islands, but when he rejoins the race, he discovers he is now carrying a teenage stowaway, Mano. Realizing his long cherished dream of winning the Vendée Globe is now imperiled by the presence of the young Mauritian, a furious Yann refuses to speak to the boy. However slowly his hostility gives way to empathy and an understanding of Mano’s predicament.
6:30pm La Fémis-Paris Film School (Special Event)
9:15pm Finally, Sunday!
When Julien is accused of murdering his wife and his wife’s lover, his secretary, Barbara is determined to clear his name.
Tuesday 18 March
1:30pm Attila Marcel
Until now, Paul’s existence has been sheltered and strange. The thirty-something man has lived all his life in a drab Paris apartment with two aunts and a daily routine of constant piano practice. When Paul meets an eccentric neighbor and tries her herbal brew, he uncovers deeply buried childhood memories-and a key to unlocking the great mystery of his life.
4:00pm Going Away
Baptiste is an inspiring primary school teacher, who finds himself looking after Mathias, one of his students for a weekend. When Baptiste takes Mathias back to his mother, the radiant, impulsive Sandra, he is instantly enchanted. For three beautiful days of the Whitsun holiday, a new beginning and new love seem possible with their troubled pasts a distant memory. However all too soon Sandra’s problems threaten their fragile idyll, and Baptiste is forced to make a choice: help Sandra and face his dark past or walk away again.
7:00pm Mademoiselle C.
As one of the most revered doyens of modern fashion, Carine Roitfeld’s tenure as editor-in-chief at Vogue Paris defined a new age of French fashion. Following Carine Roitfeld as she embarks on the launch of her new magazine, the documentary Mademoiselle C. is a delicious immersion in the glamorous world of the catwalk.
9:15pm Jules and Jim
The story of two friends, Jules and Jim in the whirlwind era of La Belle Époque. The two men enjoy a Bohemian life, but when they are both captivated by the capricious Catherine, a complicated struggle between love and friendship begins.
Wednesday 19 March
1:30pm Michael Kohlhaas
After repeatedly being cheated, horse trader Michael Kohlhaas dares to confront the corrupt local Baron but is frustrated at every step by the equally corrupt courts. His campaign for his rights is met by escalating violence and cruelty, until a truly heinous crime sends Michael on a mission for vengeance.
4:00pm Tour de Force
Family man François Nouel is the number one fan of the Tour de France-an obsession that costs him his wife and his job. At a loose end, François meets a former sports manager, Rémi who encourages him to take the plunge and do the Tour himself. With nothing to lose, François sets off, always one day ahead of the race, attracting fellow amateurs, media coverage and cheering crowds. As obstacle after obstacle is thrown his way, and his family comes back on the scene, François discovers what is really most important in his life.
7:00pm Friends from France
Set in the USSR in 1979, the film follows young engaged couple Carole and Jérôme on a vacation to Odessa-or at least that is their cover story. In fact they are Jewish cousins, on a secret mission to help ‘refuseniks’, Jews persecuted by the Soviet regime for wanting to leave the country. Together they explore the dangerous world of Breshnev’s Russia, filled with many dark undercurrents-a place where it’s dangerous to trust anyone.
9:15pm Violette
Violette follows the compelling story of novelist Violette Leduc and her struggle to find her voice as a writer. Scarred by both a childhood trauma and a loveless marriage, Violette finds a complex mentor in Simone de Beauvoir and gains entry to a world of literary giants.
Thursday 20 March
1:30pm Family Matters
Gaspard Dassonville is a 63-year-old lothario television producer who refuses to grow old gracefully. However, the harsh reality of adult responsibility and old age catches up with him, in the form of his feisty but infirm father, Hubert, who comes to live with him. The incorrigible duo become a trio when a nurse, Zana arrives with dubious references and a wild imagination. A flighty, vivacious, free-spirited Zana enchants both men, but for different reasons. After the inevitable showdown over this unconventional woman, Gaspard and Hubert find their relationship invigorated rather than diminished, and slowly they rediscover one another.
????? IMDB
4:00pm It Boy
Beautiful and talented Alice is in her late thirties, with her sights set on the top job at the haute couture fashion magazine, Rebelle. Unfortunately her uptight attitude makes her boss Vincent doubt she has what it takes. However when she meets the 20-year-old Balthazar, a chain of misunderstandings suddenly finds her with a newfound cougar persona that changes her image, and her career chances, for the better.
7:00pm Folies Bergère
Long married 50-somethings Brigitte and Xavier are prize cattle breeders in regional France. Life is good, but the departure of their children from home has thrown Brigitte’s world into flux, as she finds herself locked into routine. She keeps hoping for something else, something more.
9:15pm Tour de Force
Family man François Nouel is the number one fan of the Tour de France-an obsession that costs him his wife and his job. At a loose end, François meets a former sports manager, Rémi who encourages him to take the plunge and do the Tour himself. With nothing to lose, François sets off, always one day ahead of the race, attracting fellow amateurs, media coverage and cheering crowds. As obstacle after obstacle is thrown his way, and his family comes back on the scene, François discovers what is really most important in his life.
Friday 21 March
1:30pm Camille Claudel 1915
Troubled sculptress Camille Claudel has been confined to an asylum for two years following the collapse of her affair with fellow artist, Auguste Rodin. Isolated from the outside world, she pleads the case for her sanity with doctors. A visit from her pious brother Paul seems to hold the hope for her release, but first he must be persuaded that she isn’t possessed by the devil.
4:00pm Violette
Violette follows the compelling story of novelist Violette Leduc and her struggle to find her voice as a writer. Scarred by both a childhood trauma and a loveless marriage, Violette finds a complex mentor in Simone de Beauvoir and gains entry to a world of literary giants.
7:00pm It Boy
Beautiful and talented Alice is in her late thirties, with her sights set on the top job at the haute couture fashion magazine, Rebelle. Unfortunately her uptight attitude makes her boss Vincent doubt she has what it takes. However when she meets the 20-year-old Balthazar, a chain of misunderstandings suddenly finds her with a newfound cougar persona that changes her image, and her career chances, for the better.
9:15pm Populaire
Set in the late 1950s, Populaire‘s heroine is Rose Pamphyle, a girl who lives with her widowed father, but yearns for so much more than the aimless life her inevitable marriage to the local mechanic’s son promises. Travelling out of her small town in Normandy in search of a job, she is interviewed by an insurance agent: the suave, driven Louis Échard, who discovers she possesses an unworldly ability to type. Once a gifted boxer and runner, Louis now becomes Rose’s coach and soon begins preparing her for the world speed typing championships in New-York.
Saturday 22 March
12:45pm Camille Claudel 1915
Troubled sculptress Camille Claudel has been confined to an asylum for two years following the collapse of her affair with fellow artist, Auguste Rodin. Isolated from the outside world, she pleads the case for her sanity with doctors. A visit from her pious brother Paul seems to hold the hope for her release, but first he must be persuaded that she isn’t possessed by the devil.
Kirikou and the Men and Women is an enchanting animation following the adventures of an unlikely superhero: the mischievous and heroic newborn baby Kirikou. Based loosely on Senegalese fables, Kirikou tells five stories of ingenuity and courage, as the tiny but fearless crusader saves his village from foes both natural and supernatural.
5:00pm Cycling with Molière
Serge is a retired great actor, living as a recluse amid the windswept landscape of the Île de Ré. Gauthier, a fellow actor currently enjoying a career high as a TV heartthrob, visits Serge and tempts him to make a comeback with a production of Molière’s play, The Misanthrope. Before agreeing, Serge insists on seven days of rehearsal. The addition of a mysterious Italian divorcée as a love interest adds a deliciously romantic frisson to this hilarious and brilliantly acted take on the classic French comedy of manners.
7:00pm The Finishers
Wheelchair-bound teenager Julien is the apple of his mother’s eye, but he yearns for the approval of his brooding and bitter father, Paul. With his youth as an iron-man champion behind him, Paul distances himself from his disabled son. When Julien suggests the seemingly crazy idea that they join forces to compete in a triathlon in Nice, an incredible journey of persistence and determination begins.
9:15pm Folies Bergère
Long married 50-somethings Brigitte and Xavier are prize cattle breeders in regional France. Life is good, but the departure of their children from home has thrown Brigitte’s world into flux, as she finds herself locked into routine. She keeps hoping for something else, something more.
Sunday 23 March
12:30pm Just a Sigh
Alix is a forty-three year old actress en route to Paris for an audition. With a broken mobile phone and a maxed-out credit card, Alix is momentarily loosened from the moorings that anchor her to modern life and to her boyfriend. A brief train conversation with an enigmatic stranger Douglas, sets her on a path of spontaneous decisions with both the promise and the risk of new beginnings.
2:45pm Belle and Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian is set high in the snowy Alps during the Second World War. The resourceful Sebastian is a lonely boy who tames and befriends a giant, wild mountain dog, Belle-even though the villagers believe her to be ‘the beast’ that has been killing their sheep.
5:00pm Suzanne
Suzanne spent her childhood in a loving but working-class home with her adoring elder sister Maria and their widowed father Nicolas. Barely into her teenage years, Suzanne falls pregnant, and declares that she will keep the baby; she decides to choose love above all else-an attitude that will trigger irrevocable consequences for her entire family.
7:00pm Under The Rainbow
Laura has always dreamed of the perfect fairy tale romance. When she meets an aspiring composer, Sandro, she knows straight away that he is her prince charming. But what happens in the fairy tale when prince number two appears?
@Kino Cinemas
Thursday 6 March
1:30pm Suzanne
Suzanne spent her childhood in a loving but working-class home with her adoring elder sister Maria and their widowed father Nicolas. Barely into her teenage years, Suzanne falls pregnant, and declares that she will keep the baby; she decides to choose love above all else-an attitude that will trigger irrevocable consequences for her entire family.
3:45pm Homeland
When 26-year-old law student Farid is asked by his father to go to Algeria and save the family house from demolition, he has no idea what to expect. He speaks only a little Arabic, he is frustrated by the local customs, and he can’t appreciate the country’s beauty. Little by little, however, Farid falls in love with his father’s homeland, as well as a beautiful girl from the village.
6:00pm Bright Days Ahead
When Caroline retires she finds that her new found freedom quickly turns to boredom. Taking the plunge and joining a seniors’ club, she strikes up a relationship with a young computer science teacher and local ladies’ man, Julien, who is half her age. This soon turns into a passionate amour fou, complicated by their age difference, Caroline’s marriage and Julien’s string of other lovers.
8:15pm Turning Tide
After his friend Franck breaks a leg, Yann Kermadec steps in to skipper a high-tech yacht for the Vendee Globe, a strictly solo three month round-the-world yacht race. Early misfortune sees Yann’s boat briefly laid up in the Canary Islands, but when he rejoins the race, he discovers he is now carrying a teenage stowaway, Mano. Realizing his long cherished dream of winning the Vendée Globe is now imperiled by the presence of the young Mauritian, a furious Yann refuses to speak to the boy. However slowly his hostility gives way to empathy and an understanding of Mano’s predicament.
Friday 7 March
1:30pm Venus in Fur
Thomas Novachek is struggling to cast the lead in his theatrical production of the notorious Sacher-Masoch novella of the title. As if on cue, the abrasive and brash Vanda appears at the auditions. With the play already memorized and an unnerving way of completely inhabiting the dominatrix role, Vanda casts an intoxicating spell on Thomas that spirals into a power play beyond the stage.
3:45pm 2 Autumns, 3 Winters
Thirty-three year old Aman decides to start his new life with an evening jog-and literally runs into the love of his life, Amélie. Aman’s best friend Benjamin suffers from a mild stroke-which leads him to physical therapist Katia. So begins this fresh and surprising comedy about love, accidents and memories.
6:00pm Folies Bergère
Long married 50-somethings Brigitte and Xavier are prize cattle breeders in regional France. Life is good, but the departure of their children from home has thrown Brigitte’s world into flux, as she finds herself locked into routine. She keeps hoping for something else, something more.
8:15pm Venus in Fur
Thomas Novachek is struggling to cast the lead in his theatrical production of the notorious Sacher-Masoch novella of the title. As if on cue, the abrasive and brash Vanda appears at the auditions. With the play already memorized and an unnerving way of completely inhabiting the dominatrix role, Vanda casts an intoxicating spell on Thomas that spirals into a power play beyond the stage.
Saturday 8 March
1:30pm My Mommy is in America
The family of six-year-old Jean has still not told him that his mother has passed away. The boy simply believes his mum is on holiday-a ruse maintained by the girl next door, Michèle who creates exotic postcards from Jean’s mother, which feed the boy’s imagination about his mum’s amazing adventures. While her absence is never openly addressed, the spirit of Jean’s mother is always around. At the same time, the story follows the boy’s everyday life at school, his friends and his hijinks.
3:30pm A Castle in Italy
Louise is an ex-actress struggling to hold her once wealthy family together and keep them connected to their beautiful estate in Piedmonte. Life becomes more complicated when Louise begins a relationship with smouldering Nathan whose father Louise may already know too well. As the film moves along briskly, it deftly and intelligently deals with family relationships, love, responsibility, commitment and the risks of genuine honesty. The story is semi-autobiographical, drawing from Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi’s own experiences.
6:00pm Jappeloup
Jappeloup is the inspirational true story of one man and his horse, who together achieved one of France’s greatest Olympic victories. Pierre Durand decides to leave a legal career to follow his equestrian dream. He sees something special in a small and stubborn colt called Jappeloup and decides to reach for gold in the competitive world of show jumping. Supported by his father and fellow rider Nadia, Pierre falters as he comes tantalizingly close to ultimate success. Can he defy the odds to take his beloved horse to success in the Seoul games of 1988?
8:45pm Camille Claudel 1915
Troubled sculptress Camille Claudel has been confined to an asylum for two years following the collapse of her affair with fellow artist, Auguste Rodin. Isolated from the outside world, she pleads the case for her sanity with doctors. A visit from her pious brother Paul seems to hold the hope for her release, but first he must be persuaded that she isn’t possessed by the devil.
Sunday 9 March
2:00pm Family Matters
Gaspard Dassonville is a 63-year-old lothario television producer who refuses to grow old gracefully. However, the harsh reality of adult responsibility and old age catches up with him, in the form of his feisty but infirm father, Hubert, who comes to live with him. The incorrigible duo become a trio when a nurse, Zana arrives with dubious references and a wild imagination. A flighty, vivacious, free-spirited Zana enchants both men, but for different reasons. After the inevitable showdown over this unconventional woman, Gaspard and Hubert find their relationship invigorated rather than diminished, and slowly they rediscover one another.
4:00pm It Boy
Beautiful and talented Alice is in her late thirties, with her sights set on the top job at the haute couture fashion magazine, Rebelle. Unfortunately her uptight attitude makes her boss Vincent doubt she has what it takes. However when she meets the 20-year-old Balthazar, a chain of misunderstandings suddenly finds her with a newfound cougar persona that changes her image, and her career chances, for the better.
6:00pm Suzanne
Suzanne spent her childhood in a loving but working-class home with her adoring elder sister Maria and their widowed father Nicolas. Barely into her teenage years, Suzanne falls pregnant, and declares that she will keep the baby; she decides to choose love above all else-an attitude that will trigger irrevocable consequences for her entire family.
8:15pm Attila Marcel
Until now, Paul’s existence has been sheltered and strange. The thirty-something man has lived all his life in a drab Paris apartment with two aunts and a daily routine of constant piano practice. When Paul meets an eccentric neighbor and tries her herbal brew, he uncovers deeply buried childhood memories-and a key to unlocking the great mystery of his life.
Monday 10 March
12:30pm Jacques Brel, the Home Stretch
Voted the greatest Belgian of all time, the singer/songwriter/actor/director Jacques Brel left an extraordinary legacy upon his early death in 1978. The documentary looks at the final stage of Brel’s life, when, battling cancer, he retreated from public view to sail the Pacific, finding solace in the Marquesas Islands.
2:00pm Homeland
When 26-year-old law student Farid is asked by his father to go to Algeria and save the family house from demolition, he has no idea what to expect. He speaks only a little Arabic, he is frustrated by the local customs, and he can’t appreciate the country’s beauty. Little by little, however, Farid falls in love with his father’s homeland, as well as a beautiful girl from the village.
4:00pm The Finishers
Wheelchair-bound teenager Julien is the apple of his mother’s eye, but he yearns for the approval of his brooding and bitter father, Paul. With his youth as an iron-man champion behind him, Paul distances himself from his disabled son. When Julien suggests the seemingly crazy idea that they join forces to compete in a triathlon in Nice, an incredible journey of persistence and determination begins.
Ousmane is a risk-taking, rule-breaking plainclothes detective working in the rough Paris suburbs. When a wealthy woman winds up dead in the hood, Ousmane has to partner with slick city cop, François, to track down the killers. Soon the stakes are raised, and the odd couple partners discover that both sides have more in common than they realised.
8:15pm 11.6
Security van driver Toni Musulin leads a structured, normal existence. Or so it appears. Boredom with his partner, frustration with his routine and resentment towards his employers simmer beneath the surface. Gradually he sets out to enact an improbable act of revenge-disappearing with the contents of his own van.
Tuesday 11 March
1:30pm Folies Bergère
Long married 50-somethings Brigitte and Xavier are prize cattle breeders in regional France. Life is good, but the departure of their children from home has thrown Brigitte’s world into flux, as she finds herself locked into routine. She keeps hoping for something else, something more.
3:45pm Friends from France
Set in the USSR in 1979, the film follows young engaged couple Carole and Jérôme on a vacation to Odessa-or at least that is their cover story. In fact they are Jewish cousins, on a secret mission to help ‘refuseniks’, Jews persecuted by the Soviet regime for wanting to leave the country. Together they explore the dangerous world of Breshnev’s Russia, filled with many dark undercurrents-a place where it’s dangerous to trust anyone.
6:00pm Jules and Jim
The story of two friends, Jules and Jim in the whirlwind era of La Belle Époque. The two men enjoy a Bohemian life, but when they are both captivated by the capricious Catherine, a complicated struggle between love and friendship begins.
????? BBC
8:15pm 2 Autumns, 3 Winters
Thirty-three year old Aman decides to start his new life with an evening jog-and literally runs into the love of his life, Amélie. Aman’s best friend Benjamin suffers from a mild stroke-which leads him to physical therapist Katia. So begins this fresh and surprising comedy about love, accidents and memories.
Wednesday 12 March
1:30pm The Finishers
Wheelchair-bound teenager Julien is the apple of his mother’s eye, but he yearns for the approval of his brooding and bitter father, Paul. With his youth as an iron-man champion behind him, Paul distances himself from his disabled son. When Julien suggests the seemingly crazy idea that they join forces to compete in a triathlon in Nice, an incredible journey of persistence and determination begins.
3:45pm Turning Tide
After his friend Franck breaks a leg, Yann Kermadec steps in to skipper a high-tech yacht for the Vendee Globe, a strictly solo three month round-the-world yacht race. Early misfortune sees Yann’s boat briefly laid up in the Canary Islands, but when he rejoins the race, he discovers he is now carrying a teenage stowaway, Mano. Realizing his long cherished dream of winning the Vendée Globe is now imperiled by the presence of the young Mauritian, a furious Yann refuses to speak to the boy. However slowly his hostility gives way to empathy and an understanding of Mano’s predicament.
7:00pm Tour de Force (Special Event)
Family man François Nouel is the number one fan of the Tour de France-an obsession that costs him his wife and his job. At a loose end, François meets a former sports manager, Rémi who encourages him to take the plunge and do the Tour himself. With nothing to lose, François sets off, always one day ahead of the race, attracting fellow amateurs, media coverage and cheering crowds. As obstacle after obstacle is thrown his way, and his family comes back on the scene, François discovers what is really most important in his life.
9:30pm Michael Kohlhaas
After repeatedly being cheated, horse trader Michael Kohlhaas dares to confront the corrupt local Baron but is frustrated at every step by the equally corrupt courts. His campaign for his rights is met by escalating violence and cruelty, until a truly heinous crime sends Michael on a mission for vengeance.
Thursday 13 March
1:30pm Mademoiselle C.
As one of the most revered doyens of modern fashion, Carine Roitfeld’s tenure as editor-in-chief at Vogue Paris defined a new age of French fashion. Following Carine Roitfeld as she embarks on the launch of her new magazine, the documentary Mademoiselle C. is a delicious immersion in the glamorous world of the catwalk.
3:45pm Taking Off
Now that he is approaching the age of 30, Romain has decided it’s time to re-evaluate. For too long he has watched his life drift by without acting on his true feelings. Struggling to cope with an overbearing, manic-depressive brother and a father with a worrying neurodegenerative disease, Romain has always done what is expected of him without complaining. Ironically by being such a dutiful son and brother, he has become the black sheep of the family.
6:00pm Jappeloup
Jappeloup is the inspirational true story of one man and his horse, who together achieved one of France’s greatest Olympic victories. Pierre Durand decides to leave a legal career to follow his equestrian dream. He sees something special in a small and stubborn colt called Jappeloup and decides to reach for gold in the competitive world of show jumping. Supported by his father and fellow rider Nadia, Pierre falters as he comes tantalizingly close to ultimate success. Can he defy the odds to take his beloved horse to success in the Seoul games of 1988?
8:45pm Finally, Sunday!
When Julien is accused of murdering his wife and his wife’s lover, his secretary, Barbara is determined to clear his name.
Friday 14 March
1:30pm Populaire
Set in the late 1950s, Populaire‘s heroine is Rose Pamphyle, a girl who lives with her widowed father, but yearns for so much more than the aimless life her inevitable marriage to the local mechanic’s son promises. Travelling out of her small town in Normandy in search of a job, she is interviewed by an insurance agent: the suave, driven Louis Échard, who discovers she possesses an unworldly ability to type. Once a gifted boxer and runner, Louis now becomes Rose’s coach and soon begins preparing her for the world speed typing championships in New-York.
4:00pm Cycling with Molière
Serge is a retired great actor, living as a recluse amid the windswept landscape of the Île de Ré. Gauthier, a fellow actor currently enjoying a career high as a TV heartthrob, visits Serge and tempts him to make a comeback with a production of Molière’s play, The Misanthrope. Before agreeing, Serge insists on seven days of rehearsal. The addition of a mysterious Italian divorcée as a love interest adds a deliciously romantic frisson to this hilarious and brilliantly acted take on the classic French comedy of manners.
6:00pm Populaire
Set in the late 1950s, Populaire‘s heroine is Rose Pamphyle, a girl who lives with her widowed father, but yearns for so much more than the aimless life her inevitable marriage to the local mechanic’s son promises. Travelling out of her small town in Normandy in search of a job, she is interviewed by an insurance agent: the suave, driven Louis Échard, who discovers she possesses an unworldly ability to type. Once a gifted boxer and runner, Louis now becomes Rose’s coach and soon begins preparing her for the world speed typing championships in New-York.
8:30pm Just a Sigh
Alix is a forty-three year old actress en route to Paris for an audition. With a broken mobile phone and a maxed-out credit card, Alix is momentarily loosened from the moorings that anchor her to modern life and to her boyfriend. A brief train conversation with an enigmatic stranger Douglas, sets her on a path of spontaneous decisions with both the promise and the risk of new beginnings.
Saturday 15 March
12:15pm La Monique, a Caledonian Wound
On the night of July 3rd, 1953, the ship La Monique vanished between the New Caledonia islands of Maré and Grande Terre. The wreck, and its 126 passengers, were never found. This powerful story remains relevant today for the people of this pacific island paradise.
1:45pm Belle and Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian is set high in the snowy Alps during the Second World War. The resourceful Sebastian is a lonely boy who tames and befriends a giant, wild mountain dog, Belle-even though the villagers believe her to be ‘the beast’ that has been killing their sheep.
4:00pm Our Heroes Died Tonight
Set in the criminal milieu surrounding professional wrestling in the 1960s, the story follows Victor, a gentle giant who turns to wrestling as a career after returning from a stint with the Foreign Legion in Algeria. Victor’s friend Simon, already established as “The Spectre” in the wrestling world, helps him to create an alter ego, “The Butcher”, and together they forge a lucrative rivalry. A decision to switch masks, however, leads to dire consequences as the pair runs afoul of match-riggers and hit men in a spiral of mortal danger.
????? Examiner
6:00pm The Finishers
Wheelchair-bound teenager Julien is the apple of his mother’s eye, but he yearns for the approval of his brooding and bitter father, Paul. With his youth as an iron-man champion behind him, Paul distances himself from his disabled son. When Julien suggests the seemingly crazy idea that they join forces to compete in a triathlon in Nice, an incredible journey of persistence and determination begins.
8:15pm Violette
Violette follows the compelling story of novelist Violette Leduc and her struggle to find her voice as a writer. Scarred by both a childhood trauma and a loveless marriage, Violette finds a complex mentor in Simone de Beauvoir and gains entry to a world of literary giants.
Sunday 16 March
1:15pm Quai d’Orsay
Arthur Vlaminck, a recent graduate from the highly prestigious Ecole Nationale d’Administration, is hired by the minister Alexandre Taillard de Vorms to work at the foreign ministry drafting speeches for the minister himself. His lack of previous political experience makes him an easy target for the power struggles and back- stabbing of the minister’s support network of advisers and back room staff. And it’s not long before he’s spinning between the minister, his chief of staff and a cabal of hard- nosed technocrats. Gradually Arthur learns the skills he needs to survive and find his place in the cut-throat world of high-level international diplomacy.
????? IMDB
3:45pm Folies Bergère
Long married 50-somethings Brigitte and Xavier are prize cattle breeders in regional France. Life is good, but the departure of their children from home has thrown Brigitte’s world into flux, as she finds herself locked into routine. She keeps hoping for something else, something more.
6:00pm Mademoiselle C.
As one of the most revered doyens of modern fashion, Carine Roitfeld’s tenure as editor-in-chief at Vogue Paris defined a new age of French fashion. Following Carine Roitfeld as she embarks on the launch of her new magazine, the documentary Mademoiselle C. is a delicious immersion in the glamorous world of the catwalk.
8:15pm True Friends
Fifty-something restaurateur Walter is obsessed with the truth. He will not permit an untruth to pass his lips, and applies this rigorous moral standard to all those around him. Unfortunately, his daughter Clémence, and two best friends, novelist Paul and bookstore owner Jacques, are not being as truthful as they could be. As Walter prepares his latest restaurant for its opening night, desperate for his first Michelin star, the dishonesty of those closest to him shields him from the drama unfolding in their lives.
Monday 17 March
1:30pm Going Away
Baptiste is an inspiring primary school teacher, who finds himself looking after Mathias, one of his students for a weekend. When Baptiste takes Mathias back to his mother, the radiant, impulsive Sandra, he is instantly enchanted. For three beautiful days of the Whitsun holiday, a new beginning and new love seem possible with their troubled pasts a distant memory. However all too soon Sandra’s problems threaten their fragile idyll, and Baptiste is forced to make a choice: help Sandra and face his dark past or walk away again.
3:45pm Attila Marcel
Until now, Paul’s existence has been sheltered and strange. The thirty-something man has lived all his life in a drab Paris apartment with two aunts and a daily routine of constant piano practice. When Paul meets an eccentric neighbor and tries her herbal brew, he uncovers deeply buried childhood memories-and a key to unlocking the great mystery of his life.
6:00pm Wrestling Queens
Seeking to reconnect with the estranged son she had as a teenager, 30-year-old Rose decides to capture his attention by appealing to his number one obsession: wrestling. Enlisting three fellow supermarket check-out clerks, she forms a troupe and the Wrestling Queens (Les reines du ring) are born.
8:15pm Going Away
Baptiste is an inspiring primary school teacher, who finds himself looking after Mathias, one of his students for a weekend. When Baptiste takes Mathias back to his mother, the radiant, impulsive Sandra, he is instantly enchanted. For three beautiful days of the Whitsun holiday, a new beginning and new love seem possible with their troubled pasts a distant memory. However all too soon Sandra’s problems threaten their fragile idyll, and Baptiste is forced to make a choice: help Sandra and face his dark past or walk away again.
Tuesday 18 March
1:30pm Wrestling Queens
Seeking to reconnect with the estranged son she had as a teenager, 30-year-old Rose decides to capture his attention by appealing to his number one obsession: wrestling. Enlisting three fellow supermarket check-out clerks, she forms a troupe and the Wrestling Queens (Les reines du ring) are born.
3:45pm Homeland
When 26-year-old law student Farid is asked by his father to go to Algeria and save the family house from demolition, he has no idea what to expect. He speaks only a little Arabic, he is frustrated by the local customs, and he can’t appreciate the country’s beauty. Little by little, however, Farid falls in love with his father’s homeland, as well as a beautiful girl from the village.
6:00pm Möbius
Monaco provides the glamorous setting for an undercover sting set up by Gregory Lioubov to entrap corrupt tycoon, Ivan Rostrovski. The brilliant and beautiful financial trader Alice, is enlisted to get close to Ivan, but first gets even closer to Gregory. Their torrid affair soon becomes a threat to the smooth unfolding of the operation as secrets and suspicions accumulate, and no one is exactly who they seem.
8:15pm Friends from France
Set in the USSR in 1979, the film follows young engaged couple Carole and Jérôme on a vacation to Odessa-or at least that is their cover story. In fact they are Jewish cousins, on a secret mission to help ‘refuseniks’, Jews persecuted by the Soviet regime for wanting to leave the country. Together they explore the dangerous world of Breshnev’s Russia, filled with many dark undercurrents-a place where it’s dangerous to trust anyone.
Wednesday 19 March
1:00pm Jappeloup
Jappeloup is the inspirational true story of one man and his horse, who together achieved one of France’s greatest Olympic victories. Pierre Durand decides to leave a legal career to follow his equestrian dream. He sees something special in a small and stubborn colt called Jappeloup and decides to reach for gold in the competitive world of show jumping. Supported by his father and fellow rider Nadia, Pierre falters as he comes tantalizingly close to ultimate success. Can he defy the odds to take his beloved horse to success in the Seoul games of 1988?
3:45pm Our Heroes Died Tonight
Set in the criminal milieu surrounding professional wrestling in the 1960s, the story follows Victor, a gentle giant who turns to wrestling as a career after returning from a stint with the Foreign Legion in Algeria. Victor’s friend Simon, already established as “The Spectre” in the wrestling world, helps him to create an alter ego, “The Butcher”, and together they forge a lucrative rivalry. A decision to switch masks, however, leads to dire consequences as the pair runs afoul of match-riggers and hit men in a spiral of mortal danger.
????? Examiner
6:00pm Domestic Life
How does a modern woman balance the demands of family and career? The film is a critical yet sympathetic depiction of 24 hours in the lives of several women. Stifled by her unimaginative husband, Juliette struggles with the demands of home and yearns to work in a publishing house.
8:15pm Cycling with Molière
Serge is a retired great actor, living as a recluse amid the windswept landscape of the Île de Ré. Gauthier, a fellow actor currently enjoying a career high as a TV heartthrob, visits Serge and tempts him to make a comeback with a production of Molière’s play, The Misanthrope. Before agreeing, Serge insists on seven days of rehearsal. The addition of a mysterious Italian divorcée as a love interest adds a deliciously romantic frisson to this hilarious and brilliantly acted take on the classic French comedy of manners.
Thursday 20 March
1:30pm Tour de Force
Family man François Nouel is the number one fan of the Tour de France-an obsession that costs him his wife and his job. At a loose end, François meets a former sports manager, Rémi who encourages him to take the plunge and do the Tour himself. With nothing to lose, François sets off, always one day ahead of the race, attracting fellow amateurs, media coverage and cheering crowds. As obstacle after obstacle is thrown his way, and his family comes back on the scene, François discovers what is really most important in his life.
3:45pm 2 Autumns, 3 Winters
Thirty-three year old Aman decides to start his new life with an evening jog-and literally runs into the love of his life, Amélie. Aman’s best friend Benjamin suffers from a mild stroke-which leads him to physical therapist Katia. So begins this fresh and surprising comedy about love, accidents and memories.
6:00pm Going Away
Baptiste is an inspiring primary school teacher, who finds himself looking after Mathias, one of his students for a weekend. When Baptiste takes Mathias back to his mother, the radiant, impulsive Sandra, he is instantly enchanted. For three beautiful days of the Whitsun holiday, a new beginning and new love seem possible with their troubled pasts a distant memory. However all too soon Sandra’s problems threaten their fragile idyll, and Baptiste is forced to make a choice: help Sandra and face his dark past or walk away again.
8:15pm Venus in Fur
Thomas Novachek is struggling to cast the lead in his theatrical production of the notorious Sacher-Masoch novella of the title. As if on cue, the abrasive and brash Vanda appears at the auditions. With the play already memorized and an unnerving way of completely inhabiting the dominatrix role, Vanda casts an intoxicating spell on Thomas that spirals into a power play beyond the stage.
Friday 21 March
1:15pm Michael Kohlhaas
After repeatedly being cheated, horse trader Michael Kohlhaas dares to confront the corrupt local Baron but is frustrated at every step by the equally corrupt courts. His campaign for his rights is met by escalating violence and cruelty, until a truly heinous crime sends Michael on a mission for vengeance.
3:45pm 11.6
Security van driver Toni Musulin leads a structured, normal existence. Or so it appears. Boredom with his partner, frustration with his routine and resentment towards his employers simmer beneath the surface. Gradually he sets out to enact an improbable act of revenge-disappearing with the contents of his own van.
6:00pm Bright Days Ahead
When Caroline retires she finds that her new found freedom quickly turns to boredom. Taking the plunge and joining a seniors’ club, she strikes up a relationship with a young computer science teacher and local ladies’ man, Julien, who is half her age. This soon turns into a passionate amour fou, complicated by their age difference, Caroline’s marriage and Julien’s string of other lovers.
8:15pm The 400 Blows
The 400 Blows follows a 12-year-old boy, Antoine, as he negotiates his unravelling world, caught between the hostile indifference of his parents and the aggressive ignorance of his school teacher.
????? Eye For Film
Saturday 22 March
12:45pm Violette
Violette follows the compelling story of novelist Violette Leduc and her struggle to find her voice as a writer. Scarred by both a childhood trauma and a loveless marriage, Violette finds a complex mentor in Simone de Beauvoir and gains entry to a world of literary giants.
3:30pm Under The Rainbow
Laura has always dreamed of the perfect fairy tale romance. When she meets an aspiring composer, Sandro, she knows straight away that he is her prince charming. But what happens in the fairy tale when prince number two appears?
6:00pm Grand Central
Grand Central is the story of Gary, an aimless and unskilled worker who lands himself a job at a nuclear reactor. Almost immediately he finds himself ignoring the warning signs and venturing where he shouldn’t: into the arms of a co-worker’s fiancée.
8:15pm Taking Off
Now that he is approaching the age of 30, Romain has decided it’s time to re-evaluate. For too long he has watched his life drift by without acting on his true feelings. Struggling to cope with an overbearing, manic-depressive brother and a father with a worrying neurodegenerative disease, Romain has always done what is expected of him without complaining. Ironically by being such a dutiful son and brother, he has become the black sheep of the family.
Sunday 23 March
11:45am It Boy
Beautiful and talented Alice is in her late thirties, with her sights set on the top job at the haute couture fashion magazine, Rebelle. Unfortunately her uptight attitude makes her boss Vincent doubt she has what it takes. However when she meets the 20-year-old Balthazar, a chain of misunderstandings suddenly finds her with a newfound cougar persona that changes her image, and her career chances, for the better.
1:45pm Camille Claudel 1915
Troubled sculptress Camille Claudel has been confined to an asylum for two years following the collapse of her affair with fellow artist, Auguste Rodin. Isolated from the outside world, she pleads the case for her sanity with doctors. A visit from her pious brother Paul seems to hold the hope for her release, but first he must be persuaded that she isn’t possessed by the devil.
4:00pm Our Heroes Died Tonight
Set in the criminal milieu surrounding professional wrestling in the 1960s, the story follows Victor, a gentle giant who turns to wrestling as a career after returning from a stint with the Foreign Legion in Algeria. Victor’s friend Simon, already established as “The Spectre” in the wrestling world, helps him to create an alter ego, “The Butcher”, and together they forge a lucrative rivalry. A decision to switch masks, however, leads to dire consequences as the pair runs afoul of match-riggers and hit men in a spiral of mortal danger.
????? Examiner
6:30pm Me, Myself and Mum
It deals with the relationship between Guillaume, and his overbearing mother, who brings him up as an effeminate boy while his two siblings bond with his macho father and go off on rugby weekends. Guillaume indulges in more gentle pursuits, such as a holiday in Spain where he is taught to dance-except he learns all the female moves to much hilarity from the assembled company.