A week of French language cinema will be held in Los Angeles between March 15 to 19, 2010. During this week five films from four French speaking countries, France, Switzerland, Canada and Belgium, will be screened. For reservations visit trk@lyceela.org
Monday 15 – France
Dans la Vie (Two Ladies)
Esther, an old Jewish woman, who needs a full-time care-taker. But because of her bad mood, all of her nurses leave her. Her son Elie no longer knows how to deal with her. Selima, a visiting nurse, suggests that her mother Halima, a practicing muslim, takes care of his mother. Contrary to expectations, the two women like each other. Halima knows how to make people appreciate and respect her. Full of energy, she helps Esther find her taste for life again.
2008 : All three leading ladies won the Best Actress award at the Mons International Festival of Love Films.
Philippe Faucon also received a Special Mention.
Tuesday 16 – Suisse
Complices (Accomplices)
Complices (Accomplices) is the feature debut by Swiss filmmaker Frédéric Mermoud.
The story begins with Vincent and Rebecca, two young, happy-go-lucky lovers who meet in an Internet
café. They are just barely 18 years old and live a carefree life. Two months later, Vincent’s dead and beaten
body is found in the River Rhône. Shortly after his cruel death, Rebecca disappears while inspectors Cagan
(Melki) and Mangin (Devos) are put in charge of the investigation.
Wednesday 17 – Canada
Le Divan du Monde (Everybody’s Couch)
Zoe is hitchhiking across Canada after breaking up with her boyfriend. Completely broke, she relies on the
generosity of the people she meets and on her lucky stars. Along the way she meets Alex, who decides to
leave everything behind and accompany her. Romantic by nature, Alex is certain that he has found his soul
mate, but this conviction is put to the test during the couple’s epic road trip. As they travel from coast to
coast, Zoe and Alex make new discoveries about themselves and about each other and learn how to make
a fresh start.
Thursday 18 – Belgique
Panique au village (A Town Called Panic)
This wacky, wonderful, and thoroughly absurdist feature-length film continues the misadventures of
Cowboy, Indian and Horse, stars of Belgium’s cult favorite TV show of the same title. The three stop-motion
heroes have their regular bouts of personal drama (done with hilarious effect by the talented voices of the
show and film’s creators, Stéphane Aubier and Vincent Patar), but these petty skirmishes and debacles are
ratcheted up a notch for the big screen with the accidental purchasing by Indian of 50 million bricks. A few
fumbles later, Horse’s house is destroyed and must be rebuilt. This proves no easy task, especially after a
gang of mischievous, underage water monsters get involved! Amidst all the silliness, it’s impossible not to
notice that A TOWN CALLED PANIC revolves around an impressively inventive plot.
Friday 19 – Québec
Les doigts croches (Sticky Fingers)
To carry out the “crime of the century” Charles recruits his criminal pals. On the night of the robbery the
police turn up and they’ve got to proceed swiftly to plan B – they will give themselves up, but one of them
will escape with the $2 million. When they get out, the thieves are flabbergasted to learn that they will get
their share of the cash on 2 conditions – they have to walk the 830 km of the pilgrims’ route St Jaques de
Compostelle , and above all they must have changed. These eternal delinquents, for the first time in their
lives, will have to make a real effort to become honest citizens.
Please reserve your seat at trk@lyceela.org