BURNING BRIGHT: On June 7, FIAF's CinéSalon begins a fine series by new French filmmakers

For eight consecutive Tuesdays, beginning June 7 and ending on July 26, CinéSalon -- which I think one might call the "cinema arm" of FIAF (French Institute Alliance Française) -- will be showing an exciting new series that ought to appeal to French film buffs, perhaps in particular the younger set, by introducing them and us to a new generation of French filmmakers. Entitled Burning Bright, the series features nine relatively new films made in 2013, 2014 and 2015, one of which -- The Cowboys -- will be released in theaters later this month by Cohen Media Group (so this FIAF screening is a kind of "advance look" opportunity for aficionados).

You can view the entire series here and then click on each of the films that interest you. TrustMovies has managed to view only three of the films at this point in time, of which two are definitely worth a look. The series opens this coming Tuesday, June 7, with screenings of THIS SUMMER FEELING (Ce sentiment de l'été), a really lovely, quietly alive movie about what an unexpected and untimely death does to a close-knit family and their friends. What surprises most about this film is how buoyant it remains, despite its seemingly grim subject.

What makes the movie, directed and co-written (with Mariette Désert) by Mikhaël Hers, so interesting and unusual is how -- despite its melancholy nature due to the attempt of the characters to somehow recover from this signature event -- it is still consistently full of life and energy. This is because M. Hers seems to prize honest behavior above all else, and so we watch these characters simply "behave" in the world. And because the filmmaker has chosen his times, places and people so smartly and well, even given that the movie is rather low on "events," it still holds attention.

Those "places" mentioned above includes Berlin, Paris and New York, and this, too, adds luster and variety to our viewing. The characters are played with easy-going, near-improvisational reality by the entire cast, with the excellent Anders Danielsen Lie (two photos up) and Judith Chemla (above) in the leading roles, as, respectively, the deceased's boyfriend and sister. In supporting roles (in the New York City segments), excellent work is done by our own Josh Safdie and Marin Ireland.  With its running time of 103 minutes, the movie still manages to move along in sprightly fashion. It's a thoughtful, quiet film that I suspect you'll remember fondly. Click here for more information and ticket procurement.

Next week, on June 14, a film from one of France's most interesting women writer/directors will be shown: Axelle Ropert's follow-up to her marvellous family drama, The Family Wolberg, the equally unusual and cliché-defying Miss and the Doctors (Tirez la langue, mademoiselle). Another of Ropert's movies that goes in odd directions and offers an unusual but not at all unbelievable look at human beings trying to somehow "work things out," the film gives us a look at a mother trying to raise her diabetic daughter, as the pair becomes involved with two brothers, each a doctor and each equally smitten with this beautiful mom.

It would be easy to call Ms Ropert feminist due to her thoughtful and far- reaching look into the female psyche, but that word doesn't begin to describe the filmmaker's unusual rapport with and understanding of all her characters. What happens in the movie is unexpected and will not satisfy those looking for cheap emotion and easy closure. But it will make you stop and consider.

The cast is top-notch, with the always gorgeous and intuitive actress Louise Bourgoin (two photos above) in the role of the mother, and two equally smart and unusual choices -- Laurent Stocker (above, left, of Chic!) and filmmaker/actor Cédric Kahn (above, right) -- playing the doctor brothers. Neither of Ms Ropert's films seem to be available any longer in this country for purchase or rental. A shame -- which makes this FIAF screening all the more precious. Click here to view screening times.

The continuing war in Afghanistan conflated with the supernatural (or in this case maybe religion) would not seem to make particularly engaging films -- if the two examples I've seen constitute reliable evidence. First we got Daniel Myrick's The Objective (back in 2009), and now we have NEITHER HEAVEN NOR EARTH (Ni le ciel ni la terre), which, if nothing else, at least has a more interesting cast than the earlier film. Directed by and with a screenplay from Clément Cogitore, this hugely slow-moving movie gives us the almost-always-good Jérémie Renier as the commander of a small group of men trying to hold down their position on a hilltop while winning the hearts and minds of the local villagers. They are not, it would seem, doing well at either job.

I have never seen M. Renier, above, give a bad performance; he usually rivets. Here, however, he and the rest of cast come close to putting us to sleep, as the very dawdling story very slowly unfolds. The commander's men are disappearing, two or one at a time, and nothing accounts for this. The single example we are made privy to would seem to involve something magical, and one of the local kids insists to the soldiers that this is the "place of Allah," and that if you sleep lying down, you'll be "taken."

Turns out that the local Taliban crew are missing men in their own camp, and our boys must join with them to find the missing men. The movie does not work on any level-- not as thriller, not as war film, not as a supernatural tale, and especially not as philosophy-cum-religious tract. You could say that the film is trying to prove the existence of god. Good luck with that. At the very least, you'd need to be alert and awake to take a crack at this. M Gogitore seem to be of the moviemaking mind-set that less is more. And though there is somewhat of a surprise in the manner in which the movie resolves itself, I'd call the whole thing too little too late. Neither Heaven nor Earth is neither fish nor fowl. But I wish the filmmaker better luck next time. You can click here to learn more about the movie, along with its FIAF screening times. (We've just learned that this film will be getting a theatrical release in New York City, opening on August 5th at the Film Society of Lincoln Center.)

I'll hope to see more in this CineSalon series if time permits (especially the movie entitled Vincent, above, which is said to resemble what a super-hero film might look like if directed by Eric Rohmer). If I can manage more viewings, you'll find the results here, if and when I add them to the end of this post. Meanwhile, you can view the listing for the entire nine-film series here, and then click on the whichever films you want to learn more about.  As always, these films are free to FIAF members. For information about FIAF membership, click here.

Is SERGE BOZON the best barely-known name in New French Cinema? Find out this week, as the FSLC & AFA host the wunder-kind--& the films & philosophy of his group

FREE RADICALS: Serge Bozon and the New French Cinema is the title the the Film Society of Lincoln Center has given its six-day program (is there perhaps religious connota-tion here, as in resting on the seventh?) devo-ted to the new young cinema of France, and the man who, per-haps more than any other, repre-sents it: Serge Bozon (at left).

Down at Anthology Film Archives, where but a single day will be devoted to Bozon, the program is called simply Serge Bozon Presents. The filmmaker will appear in person at both venues, and on film, as well -- since he and the other directors represented here often draw from a stable of like-minded actors, in which he is prominent. This is all to the good, as M. Bozon has a face that was made for the camera: dark brooding eyes, curly black hair, strong nose, lips and chin -- all perched atop a compact little body that, if it appears not to easily relax, is still capable of a lot of interesting movement, some of which is danced.

Two of M. Bozon's four films will be shown as part of this series, one of which -- La France, here in the U.S., at least, is the most famous of the movies to come out of this group of critic/filmmakers who sprang from the late and probably lamented film magazine La lettre du cinéma (1997-2005). Though, since these critics also make films, their work is perhaps more important than their words. I would say that Bozon's certainly is. When I first saw La France, just prior to its run at AFA several years ago, I was impressed and annoyed with it in about equal doses. Here is what I wrote at the time, previous to the existence of my TrustMovies blog:

Are we back again in the Forest of Arden? Yes and no. There is something to be said for oddity in films, and I am not speaking of the odd scene or moment in a movie that may otherwise be rather obvious. Films that are truly odd -- Todd Rohal's The Guatemalan Handshake, for instance, and now Serge Bozon's La France -- simply elude definition on some level. You can describe them -- their characters and events -- and still not begin to capture their essence. Whether or not they have an essence may also be up for question.

Bozon's movie is a formally executed combination of war film (WWI), road movie, cross-dressing/hidden identity tale, love story (think A Very Long Engagement but pizzazz-free) complete with major musical numbers that are more folk/rock than Broadway belted. That this bizarre mash-up works to any extent is due to the formality of Bozon's approach and his control over the material. From the first, everything seems both "real" and a little "off," and the movie continues in this manner for its entire length. Consequently, we begin to concern ourselves more with symbolism and metaphor than character or plot. So is La France all about the fruitless search for love? Nah. The question of how women must fit themselves into a world run by men? Please: not something this obvious. Do the songs sung and played (wonderfully, too!) by the soldiers (above) stand for "home" or the breaking down of territorial boundaries? All of the above? None of the above? It finally doesn't seem to matter -- if we can just wish upon a star.

The fine cast is led by Sylvie Testud (above: is there a better actress for convincing cross-dressing?) and Pascal Greggory (below: who’d make a great Jacques in “As You Like It”) -- two performers whom I never tire of watching. They're up to snuff here, and so is their supporting ensemble. Though I was never uninterested in the film, I also never managed to fully "arrive" in it. (Oddly enough, it does appear to offer "closure," even though we may have little notion as to what is being closed.) The most enchanting moments are provided by the lovely and peculiar songs (Bozon wrote their lyrics) that may remind you of Ragni/Rado/MacDermot's "Hair" and/or Jonathan Larson's "Rent" -- not so much because of lyrics or music but due to the unique "spirit" with which they imbue this strange film. The cinematography, too, is often splendid, full of wonderful compositions and a blue/gray color palette of night, sky and military uniforms that works beautifully against the lush foliage (most of the movie is shot outdoors).

For a "war" film, La France is relatively free of violence, which makes it especially shocking when this occurs. Who is responsible and why are two questions that should give you pause. But, again, what this signifies remains as elusive as the entire movie. Oh, yes-- the film's title: It's got to mean something, right? Right.

As I re-read all of the above, I find I agree with myself, and yet, now, what remains with me concenring this film is practically all positive. I love it, flaws and all. So it was with great anticipation I slipped a screener of Bozon's second film, MODS, into my machine and watched. And experienced no disappointment whatsoever. In fact, MODS, on a much more limited budget and at a length of just one hour, may be even better than his later, full-length work. Again, the filmmaker, with his writer/co-writer and significant other Axelle Ropert (who herself is represented in this series by two films), tackle love, war and musical numbers, as two brothers, both soldiers (above, with M. Bozon on the right), visit a third (in academia) who has suffered a breakdown, though how and why, no one seems to know.

There's a doctor who greets his visitors/patients with a sudden "Did I scare you?", a young barmaid with a reading problem, a sexy older woman teacher with whom both soldier brothers fall in love, a leader who has trouble leading, and finally Anna (played by the slightly mysterious Ms Ropert, who may be a the actual ruler here (rules are quite important to the venue at hand). All this is presented to us in quite the straight-forward manner: without irony or the sense that Bozon/Ropert are laughing at themselves or at us viewers. The underlay, however, is definitely philosophical. Cinematography for both films by Céline Bozon (this does seem to be a family affair) is first-rate, the choreography clever (without perhaps winning any awards), and the music well-chosen. As are the cast members Bozon has assembled, with each man and woman possessing a face more beautiful than the last.

By the finale ailing brother Edouard has become the be-all for all, and the rest of the cast automatons (or were they already?). MODS gives up its secrets maybe a little more easily than La France. But that may be because I don't understand it as well as I imagine. I do know that I enjoyed it immensely, and I think you will, too.

Now to the work of Ms Ropert. If you follow this blog, you'll already know of my very high affection for her first full-length features The Wolberg Family (above and below), which made its New York debut at the 2010 Rendez-vous With French Cinema and then played the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival and elsewhere, most recently as part of MyFrenchFilmFestival.com. Now, here it is again, so you've no excuse of missing it this time around. My earlier coverage of this film can be found here, here and here.

Ropert's first film, the 44-minute short Étoile violette , is also on this program, and again, as with the films of M. Bozon, the short works quite beautifully, too. A young tailor listens to a radio program in which callers confess to various things.  As he listens, he is reminded of an appointment, and off he goes ... to a night class on literature. The teacher -- a bald-headed, unprepossessing fellow -- wants to teach his pupils of solitude, specifically the solitude experienced by famous Frenchman Jean-Jacques Rousseau. To this end, the teacher uses explanation and then role-playing to coach his pupils into some kind of empathy. It works, perhaps better than he had planned, as our tailor begins first the role-playing and then fantasizing chats with the philosopher/writer (who is played by acting great Lou Castel, below, right).

Again, too, this film has a certain straight-forward motion and sensibility that keep events and characters perched on a tightrope of weird believability. As odd as things get, never do they seem ridiculous or wanting in logic or sense. The teacher wants to teach, and so, like the students, we listen and learn... what? It's mysterious, all right  Maybe the mystery of life. And what does the teacher hold in his hand at the end?  I couldn't see it properly -- unless that was the point. The cast of regulars from this group does wonders, especially Bozon, who shows his versatility as the little tailor, and Emmanuel Levaufre as the teacher.

Ms Ropert and M. Bozon would seem to share a certain stylistic commonality, yet their concerns are quite different, perhaps as befits male and female filmmakers, both of whom possess a philosophical bent. In addition to these four films, looks for others in the series from Pierre Léon,  Jean-Charles Fitoussi, Jean-Paul Civeyrac, Sandrine Rinaldi (a still from her Mystification is shown below), Benjamin Esdraffo, Aurélia Georges -- plus several films, French and American, said to have heavily influenced the school of New French Cinema.

You can find the entire FSLC program here at the Walter Reade Theater of the FSLC, and the one-day AFA program here. I hope to see several other of these movies during the run of the series. If so, and if I have time, I'll report on them in this post.

And -- if you're as hooked on this interesting film philosophy from France as I, you'll probably want to look into the accompanying special panel discussion -- SERGE BOZON AND THE NEW FRENCH CINEMA, which is said to answer the question, What makes a "new wave"? In the expected, wide-ranging conversation, Bozon and fellow Lettre du cinéma alumni Jean-Charles Fitoussi (The Days I Don't Exist, shown above) and Aurélia Georges (The Walking Man, shown below) will discuss their work, their influences, and the relationship between film making and film criticism, in conversation with Film Society Associate Program Director Scott Foundas, critic/programmer Miriam Bale, and Columbia University French Department Chair Phil Watts. For more information, visit maisonfrancaise.org

The Panel Discussion: Serge Bozon and the New French Cinema will take place at Columbia University East Gallery, Buell Hall on Friday, April 15 at 4:00PM.

If you can't attend this panel discussion, to get some greater sense of Bozon, I recommend that you read the interview with him and Pascale Bodet by Dmitry Martov and Larysa Smirnova that appeared in a MUBI post last year. As you read, you'l become aware of a mind that jumps around quickly and facilely from topic to topic, of a superior intelligence and philosophical bent, and of an ego that appears to be kept nicely in check. After reading this and seeing two of Bozon's films, I still can't begin to know who this guy is or even half of what he represents. But I absolutely do want to see more of his films, as he continues to make them.

The SFJFF must-see: Axelle Ropert's beautiful/devastating WOLBERG FAMILY; Q&A with the filmmaker

Of all the films TrustMovies has seen this year, one stands out. Not necessarily because it is the best (it is very, very good, however) but because it manages to somehow get at the heart of parental and family love  in a manner unlike most others. THE WOLBERG FAMILY (La Famille Wolberg) is the first full-length movie from writer, sometimes actress and now a director, Axelle Ropert, below, and it is a gem of almost perfect proportion -- small (less than 90 minutes long) bright, beautiful -- whose facets illuminate some unusual people and events.

There is a melancholy to the movie (from its present-day winter setting in France's northern Basque country to its soundtrack of American "soul" songs) that is rich and deeply-felt, yet it is consistently jolted into active life by the quirky characters on view and their fascinating, intelligent dialog. The family under the microscope is a highly intelligent one: Its members talk smart, think smart and act smart, but without undue pretension. This is simply who they are, and it's a pleasure to see a family of intellectuals brought to such alert, unapologetic life.

The father, the film's pivotal figure, is Mayor of the town.  His family consists of his own widowed father, a wife, her suddenly reappearing brother, and two children.  The outer circle includes the father's workplace assistant, the family doctor, and a "blond" (not quite what you will expect).  Few things happen in the movie but what does is enough to keep you thoroughly engrossed.

The theme here is how to protect those you love.  The Holocaust hangs over the film (well, the family is Jewish), though it is hardly mentioned, yet the cultural references are just as likely to be American as French.  As our understanding of the situation grows (Ms Ropert does a sterling job of parsing her exposition/information cleverly and correctly), so does our appreciation of all the charac-
ters, as well as the travails that each is going through. Toward the finale, my companion murmured aloud, "My god, he gets right to it!" He was speaking of the father's words at that moment but also of the manner in which Ropert has brought us to the point where we understand and feel this man's pain and desire in our very gut.

I admit that much of my fascination with The Wolberg Family lies in my identification with the father and his need to protect his family above all else -- at the same time as he knows that he cannot.  The film speaks to all parents who try yet fail to do this.  Despite our best intentions (even our most stupid mistakes), the situation is finally, at a certain level, out of our hands.  Ropert captures the moment -- and its attendant pain -- when the father give vent to this, and in doing so her film achieves a level of greatness.

When Ms Ropert's movie made its New York debut last March, as part of the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Rendez-vous with French Cinema, I spoke with the filmmaker, who told me that it appeared her movie would indeed have a U.S. release. Now, according to its distributor, Pyramide International, this is not to be.  So these festival screenings may be the only chance Americans will have to see it. Fortunately, the SFJFF has scheduled four screenings of the film during the coming days: Monday, July 26, at 2:15pm in the Castro Theatre; Tuesday, August 3, at 6pm in the CineArts, Palo Alto Square; Thursday, August 5, at 6:30 in the Roda (Berkeley Rep) Theatre; and Saturday, August 7, at 6:45 in the Smith Rafael Film Center.  Click here for ticket information.

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In the following interview, which took place last March during the film’s premiere at the FSLC’s Rendezvous-With French Cinema, TrustMovie’s questions appears in boldface, and writer/director Axelle Ropert’s answers in standard type:

I really loved your film – really loved it.

Thank you.

So I just wanted to have ten minutes with whomever it was who made this film. I wasn’t even sure if it was a man or a woman—

(Axelle laughs)

--but then I noticed there was an “e” on the end of your name. So, I figured it was a woman.

Yes. With only one “l” and no “e” at the end, it would be a man.

So then I went on the IMDB and discovered that you also co-wrote La France.

Actually, I wrote La France all alone; I am the only scriptwriter on that film. I’ve known Serge Bozon for a long time, and we always work together.

That’s interesting because I don’t find a lot in common with those two movies, so I would never have imagined that the same person wrote them both. I liked them both, but I liked Wolberg so much more. I kept trying to “get” La France, but finally I couldn't. With Wolberg, I really felt like I “got” it. Do you think La France (a still from that film is shown below) is very different from Wolberg because the former is directed by a man?

I think it is very different because, even though Segre and I really like the same types of films to watch, we are very different when it comes to the kind of films we want to make. It’s sort of... well, Serge Bozon, like many men, is not so interested in psychology, but I, like many women, am!

Understandable. And that comes through very strongly in your film. The photography was really gorgeous, too, and I looked up who did it, and it seemed like the same person did several of the movies that are here at this year’s Rendez-vous: Regrets, Restless and your film

Yes, it was Céline Bozon, the sister of Serge. I work a lot with her. She is a young DP, 35 years old, and she is very talented.

Is 35 that young? Well, to me it is!

She’s had a lot of experience. She’s been working for about ten years.

And the music! I forgot to mention this in my (original) review, but it is wonderful! Yours is now one of my favorite soundtracks. Where did this come from? Did you love all these songs to begin with?

I really love American “Soul.” This is my favorite kind of music. If I put it into the film it is because I feel that it is music that is very melancholy but also very commercial. For me it is such a complicated equation -- to create films that are both melancholic and commercial -- this is what really fascinated me.

How do you create a commercial film? How do you know?

Well, my film is not very commercial. It was really important for me that each audience member would have his or her own say about the film. Because family is something that is common to all of us. And because I also really strove to create in this father figure someone that you are not quite sure if you are supposed to love or hate.

Oh, no! You love him -- but you feel very sad for him.

There are audience members who really hate him.

Really?! I didn’t hate anyone in the film. I loved everyone. That is so strange. The performances were all so, like, on point, like in ballet or something. I thought your movie was exceptional: a marriage of you and the performers. Everyone is so bright. And it was wonderful to see Jean-Luc Bideau again. I remember him from Jonah Who Will Be 25 in the year 2000 -- when he was a much younger man.

Yes…

Also, for me the Holocaust hung over the movie without ever being overtly mentioned. I wondered if, on some level, this was why the father was trying so hard to protect everybody.

The Holocaust is like a ghost for me in the film. I think the father figure doesn’t ever realize this. He is sort of inhabited by this ghost.

That is how I felt about it. It is not even brought up in the film.

There is a joke made in the film between the father and the brother-in-law – a very strange joke about Auschwitz: an awful joke.

I don’t remember this. So I must see your movie again. Does it have a distributor yet? I will make sure that everyone I know goes out to see this movie. But I can’t if it does not have a distributor.

In the USA, we are in negotiations for a distributor.

So it looks good at this point?

Yes. And a DVD of the film will be available on line in about a month.

With English subtitles?

Oh, yes.

(Note: This does not seem to have happened yet. As of now, the French distributor of the film, Pyramide International, says that there is no distributor in the USA.)

It would be great if it had a theatrical release. It is such a beautiful film to see. And on the big screen! (Axelle nods, yes) So—what are you going to do next?

A romantic comedy, and again, very much inspired by the work of James L. Brooks.

Oh, good—we have not seen much by him lately! Spanglish, but it was a flop here, yet it was a wonderful film. Was that movie successful in France?

Unfortunately, no.

How did your film do it France?

Excellent. People actually went to see it and liked it.

So it was commercial!

Well, on its own scale. Which was small. But the critics were raving about it, and it received excellent reviews.

So the next one will be a romantic comedy after a type of James L. Brooks film?

Yes, (she laughs) and there will be no Jews in the film! I try to do not a Jewish movie next time.

It’s funny, but even though I say the Holocaust hung over your film, I did not find it such a Jewish movie. The Jewish part of it was not as important as the family part. That's one with which I think audiences can easily identify. You do not have to be Jewish to identify with the adultery part, or with the woman’s side, the man’s side, or the children’s. Even the brother-in-law. Everybody registers so strongly and truly – yet they are all a bit bizarre. Not bad bizarre. You think, gee, I have never seen people quite like this before, but I absolutely believe who they are!

I think what is strange in them is that they are absolutely inhabited by the passion they have for their next of kin. Nowadays in life, people tend to be passionate about their lovers…

Or their work.

But not about their wife, and their children, even the brother-in-law. This is rather strange.

Is this because…? Does the wife feel too protected, too loved? Is that why she must strike out on her own?

It is a very tyrannical kind of life, in a way.

Maybe good for the kids but not so much for the wife.

With the ghost of the Holocaust, love is supposed to build a kind of a wall around the family. But it is difficult to live when you are surrounded by a wall.

It is hard to build impregnable walls, too, because things like sickness, as you show, can come in and tear down that wall. So, in one month the film will be available on DVD.

Via Films Pelleas. This is the name of my producer.

Do you have anything to say that journalists never ask you but that you would like to talk about?

I like to say that my film is just as French as it is American. Because, for me, the USA has sort of been my second cinema homeland. I have been really, really, deeply influence by all of Jewish-American culture.

Are you Jewish?

A little. Only by my mother.

Oh, well then you are officially Jewish, right? My ex-wife is Jewish, so my daughter is Jewish. But you cannot live with Jews, I think, and not become somewhat Jewish.

Yes! (We laugh.)

What filmmakers in particular have influenced you?

In the classics, two of them: Vincente Minnelli and Richard Quine – for a movie that is not very famous in France -- Strangers When We Meet.

Oh, yes, Kim Novak and Kirk Douglas!

I love this movie, and it was very important for The Family Wolberg!

Wow-- really?

Oh, yes! Yes, the story between a married woman and a married man.

I saw that when I was like 17 or 18, when it first came out. And I wasn't too crazy about it.

It is not a movie for teenagers, but for adults. Very sad, very bitter. Very strange about how it affects us.

I am definitely going to watch that one again! (Since this interview, I have watched Strangers When We Meet again, and oh, yes, I can see what Axelle means -- and where the influences come from.)

But these influences are all very indirect. And with Minnelli, I really love his films that deal with the love that parents have for their children. For instance, Meet Me in St Louis!

Oh, yes!

And there is a movie with Glenn Ford as a widower, and his son is played by Ron Howard…

(Note: It’s The Courtship of Eddie’s Father: I looked it up post-interview on the IMDB)

I can’t think of anything else to ask right now, and I see that our time is up. I don’t know when I will post this interview, but it will be whenever the movie comes out for either theatrical release or on DVD or Streaming.

Thank you.

And thank you so much, Axelle. I will look forward to seeing The Wolberg Family again, just as soon as I can.

(And I must thank the SFJFF for giving me that opportunity to see the film again. I think it is extraordinary, in its own quiet way, so I hope moviegoers who live in the San Francisco area will take advantage of the four SFJFF showings of this film and see it now.)