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New York's Rendez-Vous With French Cinema · 2019

New York's Rendez-Vous With French Cinema 2019

Full line-up

Programme

22 films · 5 reviews

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The 400 Blows (Les Quatre Cents Coups, The Four Hundred Blows)

Review preview for The 400 Blows

The audience is charmed and enthralled from the very first scene.

Keith Dudhnath · 5 out of 5
A classic looking at the life of a 12-year-old in Paris.

(Country: France; Year: 1959; Director: Francois Truffaut; Writer: Francois Truffaut; Stars: Jean-Pierre Léaud, Claire Maurier, Albert Remy, Patrick Auffay, Georges Flamant, Guy Decomble)

Full review

Amanda

Review preview for Amanda

We cry with Amanda and David and when the sun comes through again, their smiles are like a gift.

Anne-Katrin Titze · 4 out of 5
A man assumes a new responsibility for his niece as a potential guardian.

(Country: France; Year: 2018; Director: Mikhaël Hers; Writer: Maud Ameline, Mikhaël Hers; Stars: Vincent Lacoste, Isaure Multrier, Stacy Martin, Ophélia Kolb, Marianne Basler, Jonathan Cohen, Nabiha Akkari, Greta Scacchi, Bakary Sangaré, Claire Tran, Elli Medeiros, Zoé Bruneau, Lily Bensliman, Raphaël Thiéry, Leah Lapiower)

Full review See: Mikhaël Hers ‪in conversation on‬ casting Vincent Lacoste, Isaure Multrier, Stacy Martin and Greta Scacchi for Amanda, and Serge Daney

US premiere

Coincoin And The Extra-Humans (Coincoin et les z'inhumains)

Sequel to Lil' Quinquin sees ectoplasmic gunk falls from the sky and identical twins materialise without warning.

(Country: France; Year: 2018; Director: Bruno Dumont; Stars: Alane Delhaye, Bernard Pruvost, Philippe Jore, Lucy Caron)

The Freshmen (Première année)

Story of a couple of students in their first year at med school.

(Country: France; Year: 2018; Director: Thomas Lilti; Writer: Thomas Lilti; Stars: Vincent Lacoste, William Lebghil, Michel Lerousseau, Darina Al Joundi, Benoît Di Marco, Graziella Delerm, Guillaume Clérice, Alexandre Blazy, Noémi Silvania, Laurette Tessier, Adrien Schmück, Quitterie Boascals de Reals, Tiphaine Piovesan, Jeremy Corallo, Mehdi Amouri)

NYC premiere

Girls Of The Sun (Les Filles Du Soleil)

A battalion made up entirely of Kurdish female soldiers is on the cusp of taking back control of the city where its commander was captured by extremists a few months earlier.

(Country: France, Belgium, Georgia, Switzerland; Year: 2018; Director: Eva Husson; Writer: Eva Husson; Stars: Golshifteh Farahani, Emmanuelle Bercot, Erol Afsin)

Invisibles

Drama about a daytime shelter for women that is scheduled to close.

(Country: France; Year: 2018; Director: Louis-Julien Petit; Writer: Marion Doussot, Claire Lajeunie, Claire Lajeunie, Louis-Julien Petit; Stars: Patricia Mouchon, Khoukha Boukherbache, Bérangère Toural, Patricia Guery, Marie-Christine Descheemaker, Laetitia Grigy, Fedoua Laafou, Stéphanie Brayer, Adolpha Van Meerhaeghe, Marie-Thérèse Boloke Kanda, Aïcha Bangoura, Dominique Manet, Assia Menmadala, Marianne Garcia, Audrey Lamy)

North American premiere

In Safe Hands (Pupille)

When a mother decides not to keep the child she has called Theo, Jean steps in to foster the child until a suitable family is found. Alice has waited years for the chance to adopt and a social worker is among those who must decide if she is ready for the responsibility.

(Country: France, Belgium; Year: 2018; Director: Jeanne Herry; Stars: Sandrine Kiberlain, Gilles Lellouche, Elodie Bouchez)

Keep An Eye Out! (Au Poste!)

A story that revolves around a mustachioed man who has found a body close to his home...

(Country: France; Year: 2018; Director: Quentin Dupieux; Writer: Quentin Dupieux; Stars: Benoît Poelvoorde, Grégoire Ludig, Marc Fraize, Anaïs Demoustier, Orelsan, Philippe Duquesne, Jacky Lambert, Jeanne Rosa, Vincent Grass, Nahel Ange, July Messéan, Johnny Malle, Laurent Nicolas, Michel Hazanavicius, Pedro Winter)

NYC premiere

Mademoiselle de Joncquières (The Art of Seduction)

The widowed Madame de La Pommeraye plots revenge on an ex-lover.

(Country: France; Year: 2018; Director: Emmanuel Mouret; Writer: Denis Diderot, Emmanuel Mouret; Stars: Cécile de France, Edouard Baer, Alice Isaaz, Natalia Dontcheva, Laure Calamy, Manon Kneusé, Arnaud Dupont, Juliette Laurent, Corinne Valancogne, Edith Proust, Gabrielle Atger, Jean-Michel Lahmi, Emilie Aubertot, Alban Casterman, Pierre Giraud)

Maya

A war reporter with PTSD heads home to India in a bid to find peace.

(Country: France; Year: 2018; Director: Mia Hansen-Løve; Writer: Mia Hansen-Løve; Stars: Suzan Anbeh, Judith Chemla, Roman Kolinka, Alex Descas, Aarshi Banerjee, Pascal Hintablian, Pathy Aiyar)

NYC premiere

Meteorites (Les Meteorites)

Nina, a 16-year-old girl, dreams of adventure. Meanwhile, she spends the summer between her village in the south of France and the theme park where she works. Just before meeting Morad, a teenage boy from an Algerian family living in the nearby council houses, Nina sees a meteorite falling from the sky which it seems only she can see... like an omen.

(Country: France; Year: 2018; Director: Romain Laguna)

North American premiere

Paul Sanchez Is Back! (Paul Sanchez est revenu!)

A young police officer is the only one on the force who believes that a notorious murderer has resurfaced 10 years after he vanished.

(Country: France, Belgium; Year: 2018; Director: Patricia Mazuy; Writer: Patricia Mazuy, Patricia Mazuy, Patricia Mazuy, Yves Thomas, Yves Thomas, Yves Thomas, Yves Thomas; Stars: Laurent Lafitte, Zita Hanrot, Philippe Girard, Idir Chender, Anne-Lise Heimburger, Anthony Paliotti, Achille Reggiani, Diego Bordonaro, Mike N'Guyen, Nicolas Bisquert, Xavier Baratrero, Hocine Bakiri, Sébastien Rossel, Eric Bernardini, Cyrille Laporte)

North American premiere

Raising Colors (Volontaire)

Review preview for Raising Colors

Raising Colors treads on unfashionable grounds and emerges victorious.

Anne-Katrin Titze · 4 out of 5
Drama about a young woman who decides to join the French Navy.

(Country: France; Year: 2018; Director: Hélène Fillières; Writer: Hélène Fillières, Mathias Gavarry; Stars: Lambert Wilson, Diane Rouxel, Alex Descas, Corentin Fila, Josiane Balasko, André Marcon, Igor Kovalsky, Jonathan Couzinié, Hélène Fillières, Marc Fraize, Pauline Acquart, Sandra Choquet, Alain Fillières, Jeanne Guittet, Jade Labeste)

Full review See: Hélène Fillières ‪in conversation on‬ Lambert Wilson as Greta Garbo, Diane Rouxel, a Nick Cave song, and a return to the classics in Raising Colors (Volontaire)

US premiere

School's Out (L'Heure De La Sortie)

A group of six classmates harbour a dark and dangerous secret.

(Country: France; Year: 2018; Director: Sébastien Marnier; Writer: Sébastien Marnier; Stars: Laurent Lafitte, Emmanuelle Bercot, Gringe)

North American premiere

Sink Or Swim (Le Grand Bain)

Review preview for Sink Or Swim

The training sessions begin to pall - for the audience as much for the participants - but once the action moves to Norway, the pace and the scenery pick up considerably.

Richard Mowe · 3 out of 5
A comedy drama about a male synchronised swimming team.

(Country: France; Year: 2017; Director: Gilles Lellouche; Writer: Gilles Lellouche; Stars: Guillaume Canet, Leïla Bekhti, Mathieu Amalric, Virginie Efira, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Benoît Poelvoorde, Marina Fois)

Full review

Sophia Antipolis

A European technology park becomes the setting for a series of connected stories.

(Country: France; Year: 2018; Director: Virgil Vernier; Writer: Mariette Désert, Virgil Vernier; Stars: Dewy Kunetz, Sandra Poitoux, Hugues Njiba-Mukuna, Bruck, Lilith Grasmug, Thibault Bru, Dewy Kunetz, Sandra Poitoux, Hugues Njiba-Mukuna, Bruck, Lilith Grasmug, Thibault Bru)

North American premiere

The Summer House (Les Estivants)

A woman coping with a recent break up goes on holiday with her daughter.

(Country: France, Italy; Year: 2018; Director: Valeria Bruni Tedeschi; Writer: Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Noémie Lvovsky, Agnès de Sacy; Stars: Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Yolande Moreau, Noémie Lvovsky, Pierre Arditi, Valeria Golino, Laurent Stocker, Bruno Raffaelli, Marisa Borini, Stefano Cassetti, Riccardo Scamarcio, Anthony Ursin, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Yolande Moreau, Noémie Lvovsky, Pierre Arditi)

US premiere

The Time Of The Pirates (Seuls les pirates)

A community theatre owner plots to defend his home against the council who want to evict him.

(Country: France; Year: 2018; Director: Gaël Lépingle; Stars: Ludovic Douare, Delphine Chuillot, Renan Prévot, Georges Gay, Ludovic Douare, Delphine Chuillot, Renan Prévot, Georges Gay)

North American premiere

The Trouble With You (En Liberté!)

A widow finds her life thrown into turmoil when she comes to realise that her police chief spouse wasn't quite the hero she thought.

(Country: France; Year: 2018; Director: Pierre Salvadori; Writer: Benjamin Charbit, Benoît Graffin, Pierre Salvadori; Stars: Adèle Haenel, Pio Marmaï, Audrey Tautou, Vincent Elbaz, Damien Bonnard, Hocine Choutri, Christophe Tek, Octave Bossuet, Norbert Ferrer, Emmy Stevenin, Martin Pautard, Adèle Haenel, Pio Marmaï, Audrey Tautou, Vincent Elbaz)

NYC premiere

The Truk (L'Enkas)

Review preview for The Truk

Where most films of this ilk are driven by aggression, Marx instead pushes hers forward with a mix of melancholy, quiet desperation and futility.

Amber Wilkinson · 3.5 out of 5
An ex-con makes a plan with his friend to travel from rave to rave selling water and Ketamine from their food truck.

(Country: France, Ukraine; Year: 2018; Director: Sarah Marx; Writer: Hamé Bourokba, Ekoué Labitey, Sarah Marx; Stars: Sandor Funtek, Sandrine Bonnaire, Alexis Manenti, Lauréna Thellier, Virginie Acariès)

Full review See: Sarah Marx interview about The Truk

North American premiere

Whatever Happened To My Revolution (Tout ce qu'il me reste de la révolution)

Angela was eight years old when the first McDonald's opened in East Berlin - Since then, she has been fighting against the curse of her generation: to be born "too late" at a time of global political depression.

(Country: France; Year: 2018; Director: Judith Davis; Writer: Judith Davis, Cécile Vargaftig; Stars: Judith Davis, Malik Zidi, Claire Dumas, Simon Bakhouche, Mélanie Bestel, Nadir Legrand, Mireille Perrier, Yasin Houicha, Pat Belland, Samira Sedira, Slim El Hedli, Émilie Caen, Jean-Claude Leguay, Mathilde Braure, Malo Konaté)

North American premiere

When Margaux Meets Margaux (La Belle Et La Belle)

A woman in two stages of her life - as she reaches adulthood and as she enters middle age.

(Country: France; Year: 2018; Director: Sophie Fillières; Writer: Sophie Fillières; Stars: Sandrine Kiberlain, Agathe Bonitzer, Melvil Poupaud, Lucie Desclozeaux, Laurent Bateau, Théo Cholbi, Anthony Paliotti, Florence Muller, Aurélie Dupont, Brigitte Roüan, François Deblock, Christophe Odent, Victor Assié, Smadi Wolfman, Raphaël Kahn)