Six films. Six views. Six new filmmakers.

Since 2002, approximately 40% of the yearly French film production has been made up of first films. Every year, more than 60 of the new feature films are first films !

This illustrates the good health, rich diversity and strong vitality of French cinema. It is a source of talent which never ceases to flourish. Generation after generation, from Gérard Philippe to Vincent Perez, French cinema has succeeded throughout the world in satisfying audience’s hunger for new talents and emerging stars.

The French Embassy in South Africa is proud to bring this selection of 6 first films to South Africa. Each has its own style, ambition and approach, ranging from family to art films, and from reality to comedy. It is also a selection that respects, albeit unintentionally, male/female parity.

Above all, these films are a reflection of the individual personalities, intentions and styles of their directors. Different profiles and experiences mean different approaches and styles.

 TRY TO REMEMBER (Se souvenir des belles choses)
Fiction Comedy / 1h50
Director : Zabou BREITMAN
At the Squirrels, they forget what they say, the time, their keys, their mother tongue, the birthday of a loved one. At the Squirrels, they remember the first kiss, the phases of the moon, the 12 apostles. At the Squirrels, Philippe and Claire are in love. And before getting lost in the Forest of Oblivion, Claire gives Philippe a priceless gift : her memory.
Cast : Isabelle Carré, Bernard Campan, Bernard Lecoq, Zabou Breitman
Mon 30 May 20:30 ; Tue 31 May 17:30 ; Wes 1 June 20:30

 ANYTHING YOU SAY (Mon Idole)
Fiction Thriller / 1h50
Director : Guillaume CANET
50-old Jean-Louis Broustal, a television producer, has all that he could wish for : a hugely successful career, a divine wife and money to burn. His latest show, “Take Out the Tissues”, is riding at the top of the audience ratings. Bastien, lowly technician on this dubious show, knows he deserves a much better position. When Broustal, his Idol, invites him to spend the weekend at his home in the country working on Bastien’s concept for a new show, it’s like a dream come true. But as the hours go by, Bastien discovers there’s more to the couple than meets the eye. In this world manipulating people’s emotions is everybody’s favorite pastime.
Cast : François Berléand, Guillaume Canet, Diane Kruger, Philippe Lefèbvre, Clotilde Courau, Daniel Prévost.
Sat 28 May 17:30 ; Sun 29 May 11:30 & 20:30

 IF I WERE A RICH MAN ! (Ah ! Si j’étais riche)
Fiction Comedy / 1h45
Director : Michel MUNZ & Gérard BITTON
The day he wins 10 million Euros at Lotto, Aldo, a traveling salesman on the brink of divorce, discovers that his wife is cheating on him with his new boss. He decides to keep quiet about his win until after the divorce, and although massively rich, he endeavors to keep living as though he were poor...
Cast : Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Valéria Bruni-Tedeschi, Richard Berry, François Morel.
Fri 27 May 17:30 ; Sat 28 May 14:30 & 20:30 ; Sun 29 May 17:30

 A PIECE OF SKY (Une part du ciel)
Fiction Drama / 1h25
Director : Bénédicte LIÈNARD
“A Piece of Sky” : the story of the resistance of women prisoners and women workers in a factory. In prison, Joanna obstinately questions the authority that confines her. Bound to a production line, Claudine is caught up by a past that links her to Joanna who have asked her to testify. Comings and goings between the prison and the factory, between intimacy and politics. Joanna yields, breaks down and then stands up for her dignity. Claudine rebels.
Cast : Séverine Caneele, Sofia Leboutte, Josiane Stoléru, Yolande Moreau.
Wes 1 June 17:30 ; Thur 2 June 20:30

 SEASIDE (Bord de mer)
Fiction Drama / 1h22
Director : Julie LOPES-CURVAL
A small seaside village stretches along a vast pebble beach. In the winter, it looks like a moonscape. In the summer, a crowd of vacationers gathers on the beach, bordered by little colorful huts. Marie works in the pebble treatment factory. She is pretty. Her boyfriend Paul does not understand Marie’s dreamy temperament and stifles her with his clumsy love. Marie is increasingly dazed by an indescribable uneasiness. The vacationers remind her of youthful dreams from elsewhere. To go away... Albert, a young manager at the factory, has just been fired. With his beautiful sports car, he looks like a Prince Charming.
Cast : Bulle Ogier, Hélène Fillières, Ludmila Mikaël.
Fri 27 May 20:30 ; Sat 28 May 11:30 ; Sun 29 May 14:30

 17 TIMES CÉCILE CASSARD (17 fois Cécile Cassard)
Fiction Drama / 1h45
Director : Christophe HONORÈ
17 portraits of a young woman trying to rebuild her life... In the depths of Brittany, a young woman suddenly becomes a widow. Stunned, the lonely beauty rebuilds her life, step by step, and becomes reconciled with her ghosts. Along her highly contrasted route, dotted with hardships and encounters, wanderings and shifts of mood, she accepts a handful of radical decisions : temporarily giving up her son, moving to Toulouse, etc.
Cast : Béatrice Dalle, Romain Duris, Jeanne Balibar, Ange Ruzé.
Mon 30 May 17:30 ; Tue 31 May 20:30 ; Thur 2 June 17:30

Tickets on sale at Computicket and Ster-Kinekor Cinemas

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