The French department at Elon is holding a five-day French/Francophone film festival on Elon’s campus Tuesday, May 4, through Saturday, May 8. The Tournées French Film Festival was made possible with the support of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy and the French Ministry of Culture (CNC).
- All films are subtitled in English and will be shown in La Rose Digital Theatre in Koury Business Center at 7 p.m.
- Entrance fee is $3 per film per evening: Advance tickets are on sale now (contact me at sglasco@elon.edu or x5813)
- Multicultural themes are featured prominently in all five films and there really is something for everyone.
- Tuesday night’s film is a visually stunning animation and all proceeds from that night’s box office receipts in particular will go to benefit Haiti earthquake relief
Here is the schedule:
1) Tuesday, May 4: Azur et Asmar (Azur and Asmar) [in French and Arabic] deals with racism and cultural diversity
2) Wednesday, May 5: Les Témoins (The Witnesses) Beyond gay versus straight, Techiné’s film is equally committed to exploring other opposites: rich vs. poor, male vs. female, Muslim vs. non-Muslim.
3) Thursday, May 6: Comme un Juif en France (Being Jewish in France) An important documentary that treats the topic from WWII to present day.
4) Friday, May 7: Les Indigènes (Days of Glory) [An Algerian, Franco-Belgian Moroccan collaboration]: 130 000 natives from North Africa and 20 000 Africans fought to liberate France, a country they had never seen before. With a reputation for endurance, sense of orientation and great courage, they were sent to the front lines of the battlefields. Days of Glory relates the forgotten story of these soldiers known as “Indigènes” through four of these courageous men: Yassir, Abdelkader, Saïd and Messaoud. Yassir expects to collect a booty for his services in the army.
5) Saturday, May 8: La graine et le mulet (The Secret of the Grain) : This stunning film takes place in the Southern French city of Sète where Slimane, the patriarch of a large and vivacious North African family, is an elderly dockworker. When his job of many years is suddenly no longer secure, he decides to restore an old boat in the harbor, and turn it into a floating couscous restaurant.
We hope to see you there!