Rendez-Vous with French Cinema at Lincoln Center 2012

[Chris Knipp]

Great, Johann, good to know. In NYC now.

[Chris Knipp]

This press screening schedule is only a part of the whole public schedule, missing nine films. I will check into this because some of the most interesting ones seem to be missing here.

The films not in the screenings are as follows. The ones I got screeners of (or in the case of A GANG STORY saw at the public screening) and reviewed are in in black. The ones I didn't get to see are in red.

UNTOUCHABLES
A GANG STORY
GUILTY
HEADWINDS
HERE BELOW
LOUISE WIMMER
MOON CHILD
PARIS BY NIGHT
ZARAFA

[Chris Knipp]

Rabah Ameur-Zaïmeche: SMUGGLERS' SONGS (2011)

A loose, musical costume drama about followers of the French Robin Hood, Louis Matrin, a pre-revolutinoary idol and national martyr killed in 1755. The very famous song celebrating his life and mourning his death has been performed by many famous artists, from the turn-of-the century Chat Noir cabaret to punk bands.

[Chris Knipp]

Matthieu Amalric: THE SCREEN ILLUSION (2011-TV)

Shot on commission for the French national theater, an early play by Pierre Corneille performed in modern dress by actors of the Comédie Française under special requirements.

[Chris Knipp]

Daniel Auteuil: THE WELL-DIGGER'S DAUGHTER (2011)

Auteuil returns to Marcel Pagnol's warm sagas of the south of France 25 years from Jean de Florette, this time writing his adaptation, starring in, and staging his directorial debut in this remake of the 1940 film. The producers were so pleased they hired him to do the same for Pagnol's Marseille trilogy, Marius, César and Fanny, which are done and will come out later this year.

[Chris Knipp]

Ismaël Faroukhi: FREE MEN (2011)

This film about the Rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris (played by Michael Lonsdale), an Arab singing star who is Jewish, and Algerians who helped save Jews in Paris under German occupation stars Tahar Rahim, the young lead in Jacque Adiard's prize-winning 2009 A Prophet. In French and Algerian Arabic.

[Chris Knipp]

Mathieu Demy: AMERICANO (2011)

This directorial debut road movie is by the son of two French cinema icons, Jacques Demy and Agnès Varda. It concerns a 30-something with dual French and American citizenship who returns to the California of his childhood after his estranged mother dies, and pursues a mysterious friend called Lola at a Tijuana dive bar, played by Selma Hayek. Chiara Mastroianni and Geraldine Chaplin are in the cast.