French Film Festival
Presented by Alliance Française of Armidale Inc. Experience the best of French cinema with a selection of films!
29 May, 6.45pm – Opening Night (optional drinks in the foyer included in ticket price)
29 May, 6.45pm; 3 June, 10.00am; 6 June, 10.00am; 9 June, 6.30pm – Jean Valjean (M – mature themes and violence), 1hr 39 mins, Drama) – Jean Valjean is released from prison after nineteen years of hard labor, violence, and suffering. Filled with anger and a deep sense of injustice, he has become a dangerous man who trusts no one and nothing. When he arrives in a small village in Provence, he is repeatedly turned away. Desperate, he unknowingly finds refuge at the house of Bishop Bienvenu, who lives simply, with his sister and a single servant. There, he is surprised by their warm welcome, and his inner demons start to waver. But the temptation to be what society sees in him still haunts him, and he steals the Bishop’s silverware. When the police ultimately catches him, the Bishop forgives him and gifts him the candlesticks. This act becomes the starting point of Jean Valjean’ transformation into a new man who reclaims his humanity.
30 May, 10.00am; 2 June, 6.30pm; 7 June, 6.30pm; 8 June, 4.30pm – The Richest Woman in the World (M – mature themes, coarse language, nudity and sexual references), 2hrs 1 min, Comedy) – An elderly billionaire woman gives hundreds of millions of euros to a younger gay artist she is close to. Her daughter files a complaint for abuse of a vulnerable person and a scandal erupts. Loosely based on Liliane Bettencourt, the late L’Oreal heiress and her daughter.
30 May, 4.45pm; 4 June, 12.00pm; 6 June, 6.30pm; 7 June, 10.00am – The French Job (M – coarse language), 1hr 34 mins, Drama) – Jonathan, an expert in luxury watches, leads a grey and monotonous life until he meets Eric, a charming conman and dealer in stolen goods. Fascinated by his lifestyle, Jonathan is drawn deeper and deeper into the world of criminal transactions. The situation spirals out of control when the virtuoso thief Joe joins them. In 2010, the trio committed one of the most daring robberies in history – they stole five masterpieces by Picasso, Matisse and Modigliani from the Museum of Modern Art in Paris.
30 May, 7.00pm; 2 June, 10.00am; 3 June, 6.30pm; 8 June, 10.00am; 10 June, 10.00am – The Rookie Guide (M – coarse language), 1hr 25 mins, Comedy) – Yann can’t find a job he likes or can keep, and dreams of a better life. One day he learns that the famous travel guide Le Routard pays its employees to travel the world. Surely the perfect free holiday! Smooth-talking his way through the door, Yann manages to get himself hired for a trial research trip to Morocco, but he rapidly comes to realise that he’s seriously underestimated the job… Beguiled by Sofia, a feisty tourist guide, Yann gets swept up in an art trafficking operation led by the infamous mobster art dealer Dr Charoux and is plunged into an adventure where nothing will go as planned!
31 May, 4.30pm; 1 June, 10.00am; 5 June, 6.30pm; 9 June, 10.00am – Nun in the City (PG – mild violence and coarse language), 1hr 26 mins, Comedy) – Sister Lucie, a dedicated nun, decides to flee her convent after 20 years to find her love of youth. It is for her the beginning of an extraordinary adventure.
31 May, 6.00pm; 4 June, 10.00am; 6 June, 12.30pm; 10 June, 6.30pm – A Dash of Love (M – mature themes, coarse language and sexual references), 1hr 30 mins, Comedy) – Mélanie, a lawyer suffering from an incurable disease, has decided it’s time to enjoy life! She whisks Benjamin, her childhood friend, off on a road trip to Spain to explore their sensuality in a brothel. Now here they are, onboard a rundown van driven by Lucas, a burly chauffeur freshly released from jail. Contrary to Mélanie, Benjamin does not seem in any hurry to arrive. Indeed, he does everything he can to prolong this improbable journey with his good friend.
