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Après
Who? Aimez-vous la cinéma? Filmmaking is often regarded as an art form of national importance, signifying the cultural strength of a country. Such film culture is left to the whims of the free market in some countries (Korea, China and the United States, among others), while it is nurtured by the government in others (Canada, Germany, New Zealand and France, for example). National film organizations are either a boon, empowering the artists with national pride, or they are a bust, turning hardy filmmakers into lazy navel gazers. France might be experiencing one or both of these effects.
Once a worldwide art cinema powerhouse, France has recently seen a slump in its filmic reputation — a downward slide partially mitigated by nonprofit organizations like the French American Cultural Exchange (FACE). And that's good for Eugeneans despite our distance from La France. FACE bestowed a grant on the UO Cultural Forum so they could present The Tournées Festival, five weekends of contemporary French cinema at the Bijou Art Cinemas. Organizer Darrel Kau says the goal of the festival is simply "to provide opportunities to experience the French cinema." By granting the initial funds, FACE also hopes to build an ongoing French film series in communities across the U.S. FACE suggested over 50 top-notch French-made films, and the Bijou made the final selections from this pool to ensure that all five were films never before seen in Eugene. As with most French cultural imports, look for a focus on relationships, marital infidelity, childhood trauma and psychological tension. Clean, which opens the festival Friday, stars Maggie Cheung as an ex-junkie fresh out of prison, bound and determined to get her son back. Cheung won Best Actress at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival for her role in this film. Nathalie is a Hitchcockian take on the classic love triangle between a wife, a husband, his mistress and his wife's confidant (who may or may not be the same person). Both Rois et Reine (Kings and Queen) and Quand La Mer Monte (When The Sea Rises) deal with two perfect strangers slowly falling for each other despite the presence of a third man. Innocence follows the lives of children who attend a boarding school hidden from the outside world where obedience rules and fear is a teaching method. The film was recently described as very David Lynchian and we're dying to know why. The films show at the Bijou at 11:30 pm Fridays through Sundays and at 2:30 pm on Saturday, and they're a mere $4. Find out more at the Bijou's website (www.bijou-cinemas.com). Five films, five weekends, tous les français. Allez! |
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