by | Dec 30, 2021 | Films

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F R A N C E

~ Exclusive Cincinnati Screening ~

IN-THEATRE
Friday April 8, 7:00 & Saturday April 9, 7:00

$10 adv, $15 door, “France.”
$16 adv, $24 door, double-feature with “Le Havre.”
Proof of vaccination required for admission.

In France, director Bruno Dumont’s roller-coaster style mixes genres and pacing, as satire, comedy, romance and tragedy overlap in a behind-the-scenes media drama. It is no accident that the name of the film coincides with the name of the central character and the country. Dumont reveals our image-obsessed world as he sees it, addressing  journalism, politics, social media, the migrant crisis, celebrity, wealth, beauty and privilege. But, through plotline twists, France shifts from a parody of the country to a character study revealing the cost of fame.

When we first meet television news star France de Meuers, we encounter a self-absorbed media celebrity, clearly into self-promotion and fame to the point of stage-managing her in-the-field reporting. As such, she is not very likeable. From the opening scene with French president Emmanuel Macron we are told that television journalism and politics – just like narrative cinema – is largely fiction.

As the film unfolds, it expands beyond the initial allegory and the focus shifts to France de Meuers. A traffic accident moves the tone from satire to personal metamorphosis. We’re exposed to de Meuers’ isolation, unhappiness and loneliness as she deals with guilt, depression and existential crisis.

Léa Seydoux as France de Meuers is clearly the center of gravity. Her media persona – pale white skin, blue eyes, blood red lipstick and Louis Vuitton couture – conveys a powerful and determined character.  At other times her character is enigmatic, flawed and vulnerable, with Seydoux adroitly navigating the shifts between satire, tragicomedy and drama. Her facial expressions and body language capture the full range of emotion in virtually every scene – she is the glue that makes France work and Dumont’s screenplay is keyed to her unique abilities.

WHAT, WHERE, WHEN & HOW MUCH

HYBRID EVENT: On the big screen at the Garfield and in the CWC Virtual Cinema.

WHAT:
“FRANCE”
Starring Léa Seydoux as France de Meuers
Director Bruno Dumont, France/Belgium, Satire/Drama/, 2021, 133 min, in French  with English subtitles.

WHERE:
☀ THE GARFIELD THEATRE, 719 Race St., Cincinnati, OH 45202.
Google MapGarfield Parking Options
Proof of full vaccination with booster is required for in-theatre admission, with masking, reduced capacity and distancing practiced in the venue.

WHEN:
☀ In THE GARFIELD THEATRE,
Friday April 8, 7:00 & Saturday April 9, 7:00
Also available as a same-day Saturday double-feature with Le Havre
.

☀ In The CWC VIRTUAL CINEMA 24×7,
Opening April 7.

TICKETS:
In-theatre single tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door (if not sold out in advance).
In-theatre double-feature tickets are $16 in advance, $24 at the door:
—  Le Havre  3:30 pm + France 7 pm

Virtual Cinema single tickets are $15.
Virtual Cinema double-feature tickets are $24.
— Watch separately, together, in any order.

All tickets available online via the Tix Buttons (top of this webpage), and by phone at (859) 957-3456.

ADA ACCESS & SAFETY PROTOCOLS:
The Garfield is ADA accessible. ADA details and Covid-19 information can be found on the CWC Policies Page.

TERMS OF PURCHASE (In-Theatre):
Purchase of a ticket confirms acceptance by the purchaser that the presenter/host and their staff will not be liable for any loss, damage, action, claim, cost or expenses which may arise in the consequence of attendance at this event.
Purchaser declares that they will not attend unless in good health on the day of the event. Further, purchaser understands it is impossible to guarantee that they will not be exposed to Covid-19 and will attend at their own risk.

DISCUSSION LEADERS

John AlbertiJohn Alberti
(Saturday April 9, Le Havre and France)

Dr. John Alberti has taught at Northern Kentucky University for roughly three decades, with focus on the relationship between American literature and popular culture as evidenced in cinema, television and music.

At Northern Kentucky University, he is currently Chair of the English Department and Director of the Cinema Studies Program, and has been instrumental in bringing the Festival of New French Films to campus in recent years.

John is a graduate of the University of Southern California (BA, English, 1981) and UCLA (MA, English 1984 and Ph.D., English, 1989). He recently authored Screen Ages: A Survey of American Cinema, and his current projects include work on gender in American cinema and television; writing in the digital age; and the movie adaptations of the Harry Potter series.

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Eric VespierreEric Vespierre
(Saturday April 9, France)

Born and raised in Paris, France, Eric Vespierre is currently president of the Alliance Française de Cincinnati. In his professional career as a software architect, Eric has lived in Belgium, Switzerland and the United States, and worked in seven countries focusing on the needs of top-tier broadcasters and news publishers.

Over his three decades of working with News Cycle Solutions, Atex Global Media and Unisys, Eric’s clients included Folha de Sao Paolo in Brazil, El Tiempo in Colombia, Der Frankfurter Rundschau in Germany, the Straight Times in Singapore, CBC and The Sports Network in Canada, and Le Réseau des Sports in Quebec.

Eric relates that his experience has led to admiration of quality journalism, considering it one of the pillars and core values of a true democracy. He has an equal love for cinema – particularly international and independent films.

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Barbara DickersonBarbara Dickerson
(Saturday April 9, Le Havre)

Barbara retired after a 25+ year career working in international development, 17 years of which she worked as a foreign service officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development. She worked on a broad array of development programs  including maternal/child health, democracy and governance, food security, environment, agriculture, and water/sanitation. Her experience in African countries included Togo, Ghana, Kenya, Benin, Madagascar, Nigeria, Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Barbara is a board member of the Cincinnati Alliance Française where she moderates a weekly French conversation group. She has an MA in European Studies/International Economics from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies; a certificate in European Studies from the University of the Saarland, Germany; and a BA in French and German from Ohio State University.

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Tim Swallow
(All screenings, April 7, 8, 9)

Timothy SwallowTim operates The Garfield Theatre and is a founder and now president of Cincinnati World Cinema, with a 20-year history of film programming and presentation, including world premieres and festivals. Prior to CWC, he spent 20 years as a live events producer, focusing on music, theatre and the arts.

His experience includes management, marketing, finance, IT and event production. Specializing in short film and documentaries, Tim’s passion, and CWC’s mission, is building a film community to experience high-quality international, independent and short-form cinema not otherwise available in this market.

 

TWO VIEWS OF FRANCE - AND THE WORLD

With Le Havre and France, we are exposed to two stories told in unique ways. Pairing these films allows us to examine and contrast the styles of two esteemed directors and their portrayals of the people and culture of France, as well as global issues of the day.

In Le Havre, director Aki Kaurismaki provides a warmly romantic treatment of working class people, their environment and their esprit de corps. In France, director Bruno Dumont gives us a stark, more critical view of the lives of the celebrity elite in media and government.

Both films feature comedic elements and dramatic tension although the directors have stationed their protagonists at opposite ends of the socioeconomic spectrum. And, both films depict central characters dealing with personal crises and humanistic choices — with vastly different outcomes.

SOCIAL MEDIA ASSETS

Please download, print, email and post on SM…
(images below not actual size)
Include https://cincyworldcinema.org/ when posting!
Announcements for SM posts, websites, email … right-click to download

 

FRANCE - web graphic

 

8.5×11 for printing (click in image to see PDF) …
FRANCE - print PDF

DRINKS & DINING

CLICK TO ENLARGE
It couldn’t be easier – across the street from the Garfield Theatre, you’ll find the Butcher & Barrel, home of delicious shareables, salads, entrees, sides and desserts, plus excellent wine, craft beer and mixed drinks.

For CWC patrons, general manager Michaele Kadivnik offers a 15% discount on your order, excluding alcohol; menu is on the website. Reservations are strongly recommended, especially if you are dining between a CWC double feature. You should present your online confirmation or ticket from the event, and let your server know if there are time constraints. The discount is valid only for the date of ticket.

HOURS: MON-TUE, closed; WED-THS, 4-10 pm; FRI-SAT, 4-12 am; SUN, 4-10 pm. The kitchen closes one hour before the restaurant, every night. Hours and menu subject to change – check the website before booking. RESERVATIONS REQUESTED: 513-954-8974 or thebutcherbarrel.com.

SAFETY PROTOCOLS, from Butcher & Barrel management:
“ALL GUESTS are required to wear face masks when they arrive, and while in any common spaces. In compliance with the most recent government guidelines, we cannot allow guests to wait for a table in common areas and reservations are accepted for groups of UP TO 10 guests ONLY.”

ALLIANCE FRANCAISE OF CINCINNATI
Alliance Francaise CincinnatiAlliance Française de Cincinnati

Founded in 1901 by French Consul Auguste Fredin in Cincinnati, the AF Cincinnati chapter was one of the first Alliances Françaises in the United States. It is an independent chapter of a worldwide organization of founded in Paris in 1882, by Jules Verne, Louis Pasteur, and others. There are over 800 chapters in more than 130 countries, with 100 chapters In the United States alone, totaling over 30,000 members.

AF Cincinnati has been the primary French cultural institution in Cincinnati for 120 years. As a membership organization with an all-volunteer board, AF Cincinnati has currently has 120 members and 130 French language students – a majority are American with students from over 15 nationalities.

An active, multi-faceted organization, AF Cincinnati members share a passion for French language and culture, manifesting in year-round events, conversation groups, French resources and language classes for adults, young people, business and one-on-one private lessons.

Learn more about AF Cincinnati

LÉA SEYDOUX

Lea SeydouxBecoming the next Isabelle Huppert or Juliette Binoche, at 36 Léa Seydoux has an impressive track record, bringing a captivating presence to an imposing range of roles.

Last summer she starred in four films selected by the Cannes Film Festival – Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch,” Arnold Desplechin’s “Deception,” Bruno Dumont’s “France,” and Ildikó Enyedi’s “The Story of My Wife.”

In a first for a woman actress, she shared the Palme d’Or in 2013 at Cannes for “Blue Is the Warmest Color” with her director and co-star. And recently she portrayed the antithesis of the T&A Bond Girl in “No Time to Die,” following her appearances in action films “Spectre” with James Craig and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” with Tom Cruise.

 

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