With the launch of the 13th edition of the Festival de Cine Francés, film buffs in Bogotá are in for a real retro treat, as this French centric event will showcase in the capital, from the 25th of September to the 8th of October, 11 classic features digitally enhanced to 2K, including Les 400 Coups by Francois Truffaut, which became an icon of the Nouvelle Vague movement; films shot in black and white, where grain and cigarette smoking Parisians take on leading roles. Les 400 Coups won the award of Best Direction back in 1959 in Cannes.
Along with the canonical Les 400 Coups, the festival will screen three other films by Truffaut, including Le Dernier Metro (1980),set in Nazi occupied Paris and Jules et Jim (1961) a love story of two young artists at the turn of the last century in Montparnasse.
Maurice Pialat is present with his biographical study of Vincent Van Gogh in Van Gogh, and winner of a Palma d’Or whose lush visual language evokes life “experiences;” and Georges Franju (1912-1987), one of the founders of the Cinematheque Française, who made his directorial debut with the lyrical slaughterhouse documentary Le sang des Betes in 1949.
The festival will screen seven titles in its ‘Competition’ category and host a special tribute to the movies of the avant-guard director Alain Resnais. One of the invited guests this year is Jacques-Rémy Girerd, founder of the Folimage animation studio.
Another of the invited guests for this 13th edition is Hervé de Luze, an editor who has worked on more than 50 feature films, and who began a distinguished career with Henri Langlois. Hervé de Luze has edited eight films for director Claude Berri, and has been a senior editor for Roman Polanski’s Tess (1979) and The Pianist (2002), a film in which he was nominated for an Oscar.
With many screenings in theaters across Bogotá, there are certain titles which stand out for their visual storytelling: Un Beau Dimanche by director Nicole Garcia, Jeune et Jolie by François Ozon, Gare du Nord by Claire Simon and Renais’ timeless love story, Hiroshima Mon Amour.
The French Film Festival takes place in 20 cities, starting September 25th in Bogotá and until October 8th. It then changes venue and heads to Cali (Oct 2nd to 15th) Medellin, Bucaramanga, Barranquilla and Armenia. For more information regarding movie schedules and gala presentations, check the festival’s website: www.cinefrancesencolombia.com
