LA NOTTE MAGAZINE

My French Film Festival 2021, traditionally held online, has ended. Every year, the festival introduces both the latest films in French-language cinema and the classic masterpieces to the viewers around the world.

Films included in the 2021’s festival program were divided into thematic categories reflecting the diversity of French-language cinema: “Forever Young” is about youth and the transition to adulthood; “Crazy Loving Families”, where the name speaks for itself; “True Heroines” is about striking women and girls; “French Ghost Stories” contains otherworldly things in French style; “On the road” and the people escaping from international conflicts; “Love is love” with the films that help not to doubt love; finally the “Kids Corner” and futurism from the “New Horizons”.

It is impossible to tell about each of the films of the competitive and non-competitive program, but I would like to highlight a few films. Among them is Christophe Blanc’s “Just Kids”, a drama about youth and growing up, humanity and love, responsibility and deep affection that exists between the brothers – nineteen-year-old Jack and ten-year-old Mathis. Kacey Mottet Klein (Jack), two-time Cesar nominee, has shown his character to be controversial but very charming and empathetic.

“Blue Fear” by Marie Jacotey and Lola Halifa-Legrand is a drawn short film about women and women’s fears, it is worth paying attention to the participation of Pauline Chalamet and Esther Garrel in the soundtrack of the film.

“Beauty Boys” by Florent Gouëlou is a very bright and positive short film about courage and acceptance, about how the love and support of a family can mean a lot. And those who do not understand their closest ones should just try, and then everything will become much easier for everyone.

“Josep”, the first full-length film by the animation artist Aurel, is beautiful and touching, it tells not only about the biography of the artist Josep Bartoli, but also about how the French people (not the government, but people) know how to be both proud and ashamed of certain pages history of their country.

And finally, Jean Cocteau’s masterpiece “Orpheus” (1950), a work that has fascinated more than one generation of viewers. The magnificent cast including Jean Marais, Maria Casarès and François Périer, stunning screenplay and Cocteau’s reflections are not about death at all, but about love, which has been the driving the force of French-language cinema for many decades.

My French Film Festival and UniFrance again managed to surprise, touch, “hook” us with the help of stories told in French. I would like to believe that for some people the festival has become an occasion for acquaintance, and for others it is a continuation of the love story with the cinema d’auteur.

Text: Julia Sumzina

Photos and video: UniFrance