By Emma Barhydt
Founded in 2005 as a non-profit organization in partnership with Alliance Française of Greenwich, Focus on French Cinema seeks to bring the best and latest of French films to the tri-state area.
Now in its 13th year, Focus on French Cinema is presenting 34 films, including one Oscar Nominee, “My Life as a Zucchini” (Ma vie de courgette); 21 César Nominations and four Wins; 15 Canadian Screen Awards Nominations; and three Swiss Film Awards Nominations.
The films offer great diversity, focusing on different genres of different lengths, with many different ideas at work. This year’s selection explores the ideas of “social harmony, artistic and literary adventure, exploration and discovery, hope, resilience, and passion.”
Focus on French Cinema focuses on the challenging and the inspiring, and brings awareness to the role of the “authentic artistic landscape of French-language films from around the world,” according to the series organizers.
While there will be 19 films in total being shown at the Bow Tie Cinema of Greenwich, here are a few titles in particular to look out for:
A Man and a Woman (Un homme et une femme), the 50th-Anniversary restored edition, Saturday, April 1 at 3:15 p.m., Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich.
Director, actor, cinematographer, and producer Claude Lelouch’s wonderful love story was nominated for four (and won two) Academy Awards in 1967. It won twice at the Cannes International Film Festival in 1966, and won Best Foreign Actress at the BAFTA Awards in 1968.
“Claude Lelouch’s timeless love story ‘A Man and a Woman’ tells the tale of two people (Oscar-nominated Anouk Aimée and Jean-Louis Trintignant) who meet by accident on a Sunday evening at their children’s boarding school. Slowly they reveal themselves to each other, discovering that each has lost a spouse, but each revelation is shrouded in misperception,” notes Focus on French Cinema. “We are honored to celebrate this 50th Anniversary with Claude Lelouch.”
My Life as a Zucchini (Ma vie de courgette), Saturday, April 1 at 12:30 p.m., and
Sunday, April 2 at 10 a.m., Bow Tie Cinemas, Greenwich.
“My Life as a Zucchini” has an astounding list of awards for a film released only in 2016, including a nomination for Best Animated Feature Film of the Year at the Academy Awards; it was also nominated for Best Animated Motion Picture at the Golden Globes; and received the SACD Prize, Art Cinema Award, SACD Special Mention, Illy Prize, and Europa Cinema Label from the Cannes International Film Festival; Best Screenplay, and Best Animated Feature from the Lumières Awards; Best Animated Feature, and the Audience Award from Annecy International Animated Film Festival; Valois De Diamant from the Angoulême Film Festival; and Best European Animated Feature Film from European Film Awards.
“After his mother’s sudden death, Zucchini is befriended by a police officer, Raymond, who accompanies him to his new foster home, filled with other orphans his age,” says Focus on French Cinema. “At first he struggles to find his place in this at-times strange and hostile environment. But with Raymond’s help and his newfound friends, Zucchini eventually learns to trust and love, as he searches for a family of his own.”
