CINEMA

INTERDIT AUX CHIENS ET AUX ITALIENS

Alain Ughetto

In the early dawn of the 20th century, life for the Ughetto family in their village — Ughettera, located in the Piedmont mountain country of northwest Italy — is increasingly tough. Faced with mounting privations — one scene shows a single potato chopped into fifths and distributed between the younger children of the family — and the lure of work elsewhere, Luigi Ughetto follows the opportunities presented by tunnel- and road-building projects, finally crossing to France and changing the course of the family’s history. In this charming, very personal, factually-based stop motion animation, Luigi’s grandson, French animator Alain Ughetto, not only traces that history, he also enters into a dialogue with it.

Ughetto lays out an immortal, cyclical story of love and family, poverty and prosperity, accident and fortune. But the content moves well beyond sentimental nostalgia: two World Wars, the rise of fascism and the Spanish flu epidemic, among other momentous signs of the 20th century, all mark this sometimes tragic (but never solemn) reconstruction. Above all, Ughetto traces the path of a cross-cultural migration from Italy to France, as a tightly-knit community of workers finds itself exploited as a social class by State and Church alike, suffering a galling dose of racism along the way. A splendid, life-affirming portrait.

Released on 18th of May. 

 

ANNIE COLERE

Blandine Lenoir

Inspired by true events, ANNIE’S FIRE is the warm, tender and humane new film from Blandine Lenoir (writer/director of 2018 hit Aurore), featuring another terrific performance from the unstoppable Laure Calamy (Antoinette in the Cévennes, Full Time, Call My Agent!) as an ordinary woman who becomes emboldened by a cause far bigger than herself.

February 1974, regional France. When mild-mannered working class mother of two Annie (Calamy) and her husband accidentally fall pregnant, they know they can’t afford to care for another child. Annie is introduced to a group of local women and doctors who offer both judgement-free support and family planning. Far from underground, the network defiantly refuses to hide from public view, even though their efforts are considered illegal across the nation. Annie is surprised by the camaraderie and conviction of her new friends, and through them, finds her mind opened to feminism and self-empowerment.Anchored by Calamy’s generous and hugely-engaging performance, amid an exceptional ensemble cast of authentic, memorable characters, Lenoir’s ode to female solidarity tells a tale as important as ever, not only a compelling reminder of how things were, but also a warning of how they could yet be.

Released on the 11th of May. 

"Stirring and engrossing. Lovingly crafted, heartily acted, powered by Laure Calamy's typically lovable performance. Emotionally nuanced, there’s no one-size-fits-all story in this open-hearted, empathetic film"

- Guy Lodge, Variety

une belle course

Christian Carion

A seemingly simple taxi ride across Paris evolves into a profound meditation on the realities of the driver, whose personal life is in shambles, and his fare, an elderly woman whose warmth belies her shocking past. Charles (Dany Boon) is a taxi driver in Paris, and he is having a very bad day. Some pressing personal debts are due, he’s in danger of losing his driver’s licence to numerous traffic infractions, and his marriage, like Charles himself, is strained to the point of snapping. A quick fare in the suburbs seems like an easy distraction. Enter Madeleine (Line Renaud), an immaculately groomed 92-year-old woman, who informs Charles that the trip today will not be a direct one. She is moving into a care home and would like to make some stops along the way, predicting that this might be her last car ride through the city. Initially exasperated and grumbling, Charles is slowly lured in by her warm charm and directness, fascinated by the stories she wants to tell. Their ride takes them through the momentous locations of her life and we discover that she has had a shocking and very dramatic journey indeed. Their short friendship is sure to have a lasting impact as Madeleine listens to Charles confess his own worries, all of which she absorbs with candour and clarifying humour.

Boon, an actor best known for his comedic work, creates a dramatic portrait of a frustrated man facing a personal crisis of epic proportions. His darker, sharper edges allow Renaud (renowned for decades in France as a singer) to shine as the pure shimmering light that is Madeleine. She reminds us that inside every seemingly benign elderly woman we might pass on the street is a warrior, a nurturer, and a spirited adventurer.

Released on the 27th of April.