Red wine by the Seine, romantic, blissful days filled with long walks through stone streets with La Vie en Rose on the radio and the Eiffel Tower in the distance. It’s how many Australians think of France, but according to the CEO of the Alliance Française French Film Festival, audiences can also expect a grittier reality from this year’s crop of movies.
Now in its 37th year, the festival features 38 films across a range of genres that highlight the voices of emerging and established French filmmakers.
“Clearly, there is a very strong appetite for France, or at least a certain image of France,” said Frédéric Alliod. “So people come for the cliché, but hopefully they stay for the surprise effect of the discovery of things that we bring, because we want to enlighten the complexity and diversity of France.”
The festival’s opening film Colours of Time (La Venue De L’avenir), director Cédric Klapisch’s comedy-drama depicting time travel through the impressionist era, depicts the alluring images of old Paris, accentuating classic Parisian charm, which is popular amongst moviegoers.
“They are attracted to arts, culture and lifestyle, and somehow this connects well to the image of France,” Alliod said.
“They do have an idea of France, which is sometimes a bit clichéd, I would say, like a postcard idea of France – the Emily in Paris kind of vision of France.”
Other featured films include The Richest Woman in the World (La Femme La Plus Riche Du Monde), directed by Thierry Klifa, which explores the life of the billionaire heiress to the L’Oréal fortune, Liliane Bettencourt. It further fits in with the glamorous vision of France, which continues to attract Aussie audiences. Likewise, Couture, directed by Alice Wincour and starring Angelina Jolie, set in the midst of Paris fashion week, captures all the glamour and drama, laced with vulnerability and depth.
A scene from The Great Arch. Photo supplied.
However, many hidden gems dive into a more realistic side of French culture that explores topics with greater depth and nuance. The Great Arch (L’inconnu de la grande arche), directed by Stéphane Demoustier, looks at the difficult realities of artistic compromise, bureaucracy and politics, blending dark humour with a real historical event.
Films with international recognition, such as those selected for the Cannes Film Festival, like Case 137 (Dossier 137), which depicts police brutality, has also been popular among Australian viewers.
“The idea is to attract people and show a different version of France, more realistic, more complex,” said Alliod.
“This is a cultural event, and a social event, so people all come to the festival to have a French experience.”
The festival runs until April 8.
Main image from The Stranger. Photo supplied.
