March 28-30, 2008 16th annual • Byrd Theatre • Richmond, Va. • (804) 827-FILM • www.frenchfilm.vcu.edu Sponsored by the VCU Office of International Education, School of World Studies, VCUarts Cinema, College of Humanities and Sciences and Division of University Relations. © All films have English subtitles and are presented by their actors and directors.• Photo of Cécile de France by Nathalie Mazéas Table of contents 3 Schedule and event 28 Shorts information Deweneti 6 Jacquou le Croquant L’Evasion 8 La Vérité ou presque Manon sur le bitume Heureux qui comme 10 Ulzhan Edouard 12 Michou d’Auber Pour quelques minutes 14 Dialogue avec mon de plus jardinier Premier voyage 16 L’Invité Les Hommes s’en souviendront J’aurais voulu être un 18 Juste une heure danseur Les Quarante Voleurs 20 On dirait que… All about Yvonne 22 Jean de La Fontaine, Le Grand Bal le défi Parcours d’obstacles 24 Un secret L’Heure bleue 26 Ensemble, c’est tout L’Arbre d’Hugo In memory of French actor Jean-Pierre Cassel who passed away on April 19, 2007 JEAN-PIERRE CASSEL Congratulations to French actress Marion Cotillard for her 2008 César for Best Actress (1932-2007) and her 2008 Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role in La Môme (La Vie En Rose). On April 19, 2007, Jean-Pierre Cassel, French actor, dancer and Congratulations to Claude Miller for his phenomenal 2007 film Un singer who idolized Fred Astaire and rose to fame after being secret and its 11 César nominations, including Best Film and Best cast by Gene Kelly, died at the Director, and Julie Depardieu’s win for Best Supporting Actress. age of 74. The VCU French Film Congratulations also to Natalie Carter for her nomination for Best Festival pays homage to Jean- Pierre Cassel’s career through the Screen Adaptation and to Cécile de France for her nomination screening of one of his last perfor- for Best Actress. Other nominees included: Ludivine Sagnier for mances in J’aurais voulu être un Best Supporting Actress, Gérard Battista for Best Cinematography, danseur. Cassel also appeared in Jaqueline Bouchard for Best Costume Design, Véronique Lange for Narco, directed by Tristan Aurouet and Gilles Lellouche and fea- Best Editing, Zbigniew Preisner for Best Music Written for a Film and Jean-Pierre Kohut tured at the 14th VCU French Svelko for Best Production Design. Film Festival in 2006. Information Friday, March 28 to the United States, and 3 p.m. Jacquou le Croquant presided by French director Jean Becker and French actor Discussion with French actor Thierry Lhermitte Léo Legrand L’Invité 6:45 p.m. La Vérité ou presque Discussion with French actor Followed by the Master Class Thierry Lhermitte “From bestseller to box office: adapting a novel for the screen” 7 p.m. Official Reception at the and discussion with French Renaissance Conference director Sam Karmann, Center American novelist Stephen 8 p.m. Gala Dinner at VCU’s historic McCauley, author of True Scott House Enough, and French actress and lyricist Catherine Olson 10 p.m. J’aurais voulu être un danseur by Alain Berliner 10:10 p.m. Deweneti a short by Dyana Gaye Sunday, March 30 Ulzhan by Volker Schlöndorff 8 a.m. La Fémis Short Film Series and starring Philippe Torreton Les Quarante Voleurs Saturday, March 29 All about Yvonne 8 a.m. First Short Film Series Le Grand Bal L’Evasion Parcours d’obstacles Manon sur le bitume L’Heure bleue Heureux qui comme Edouard L’Arbre d’Hugo Pour quelques minutes de Discussion with directors Theatre plus and La Fémis graduates Karine The Byrd Theatre is located at 2908 Premier voyage Arlot, Yoann de Montgrand, W. Cary St. in Richmond. A parking deck Sébastien Hestin, Thomas is located directly behind the theatre. Les Hommes s’en Favel, Macha Kassian and All films have English subtitles. souviendront Noémie Gillot and led by Pierre- Juste une heure William Glenn, French director Official Reception and president of Commission The Official Reception for all festival Discussion with French Supérieure Technique de l’Image pass holders (Student VIP, Faculty VIP, directors Gilles Cuvelier, et du Son Gabriel Jacquel, Valérie Müller, Regular VIP and VIP Plus) will be held on Elizabeth Marre, Olivier Pont, 10:05 a.m. On dirait que… the evening of Saturday, March 29, at Vincent Burgevin, Franck Discussion with French docu- 7 p.m., at the Renaissance Conference Lebon, Matthieu-David mentary director Françoise Center, located at 107 W. Broad St. Free Cournot and Virginie Peignien Marie and French producer valet parking will be provided. and French animator Mikaël Annie Miller Fenneteaux Gala Dinner 12:20 p.m. Jean de La Fontaine, le défi The Gala Dinner for VIP Plus 10:15 a.m. Michou d’Auber Discussion with French director pass holders will take place on Discussion with French director Daniel Vigne Saturday, March 29, at 8 p.m. at Thomas Gilou VCU’s historic Scott House, located 2:50 p.m. Un secret by Claude Miller 1:10 p.m. Dialogue avec mon jardinier at 909 W. Franklin St. Special parking Discussion with screenwriter on both sides of West Franklin, Discussion with French director Natalie Carter Jean Becker from Laurel to Harrison (two blocks), 5:20 p.m. Closing ceremony with French has been arranged for Gala Dinner 3:45 p.m. Presentation of the 2008 Delegation guests (VIP Plus pass holders), French Delegation, introduced exclusively. by His Excellency Pierre Ensemble, c’est tout Vimont, the French Ambassador VCU french film festival 3 Cinema VCU French Film Festival and La Fémis (Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Métiers de l’Image et du Son) build upon their history to expand their relationship to include VCU’s new Bachelor of Arts in Film, VCUarts Cinema. HISTORY VCUarts CINEMA 14th VCU French Film Festival • VCUarts Cinema, directed by Rob Tregenza, • Master Class held in Byrd Theatre by French will hold a Master Class between VCUarts director Pierre-William Glenn, president of CST Cinema students and French director Pierre- (Commission Supérieure Technique de l’Image William Glenn with La Fémis graduates. et du Son) and director of La Fémis-Section Image • VCUarts Cinema with La Fémis graduates, under the supervision of Rob Tregenza, J.K. 15th VCU French Film Festival Eareckson, Pierre-William Glenn and Jean- • La Fémis graduate Matthieu-David Cournot’s Jacques Bouhon, will produce and shoot short film Voie d’eau selected and screened short films, in 35mm, during the first week of April (special thanks to Ann Chapman, TODAY casting director; Rita McClenny, Virginia 16th VCU French Film Festival Film Office; Moira Tulloch, CST; and Damien • Festival programs six shorts by La Fémis 2007 Lagogué and Pierre-Louis Garnon, La Fémis). graduates from Image Department (18ème Promotion): Karine Arlot Thomas Favel Noémie Gillot Sébastien Hestin Macha Kassian Yoann de Montgrand • Festival becomes U.S. archive for the English translations of La Fémis-Image Master Theses and for the 35mm English-subtitled copies of La Fémis’ shorts featured at the VCU French Film Festival (special thanks to Pascale Borenstein and Mathieu Brassier at La Fémis and to Matthieu-David Cournot). The VCU French Film Festival presents “From bestseller to box office: adapting a novel for the screen.” A special “Master Class” lecture will immediately follow the Friday evening screening of La Vérité ou presque “From bestseller to box office: adapting a novel for the screen” presented by French director Sam Karmann, American novelist Stephen McCauley and French actress and lyricist Catherine Olson. Friday, March 28 • 6:45-9:45 p.m. • Byrd Theatre Preceded by the film La Vérité ou presque by Sam Karmann, based on the novel True Enough by Stephen McCauley. Stephen McCauley Sam Karmann Catherine Olson Truth will out True Enough All that jazz Sam Karmann recalls the start of the project: The third feature film by French actor and direc- The key role of Pauline Anderton, the imaginary “Cynthia Liebow, Stephen McCauley’s editor in France tor Sam Karmann, after Kennedy et moi (1999) and A jazz singer, is played by Catherine Olson. Pauline for almost 20 years, knew he quite liked the work of la petite semaine (2003, featured at VCU French Film Anderton isn’t an Ella Fitzgerald or a Billie Holiday; French director Agnès Jaoui and had the idea of sending Festival 12), La Vérité ou presque is the adaptation of she has a nice voice with, of course, a very personal his novel True Enough to Les Films A4, our production True Enough by American novelist Stephen McCauley, pizzazz. The film called for an actress who was a company. Agnès liked the book but was on another nominated for the French literary Prix Fémina Étranger talented singer, original and believable when perform- project, and recommended it to me. At first, I wondered for 2002. This is the second time a work by McCauley ing these “fake” standards. One actress couldn’t be how an American novel, steeped in U.S. culture, could has been translated into film; the first wasThe Object of chosen to play Pauline while another was chosen to resonate with me. But it turned out McCauley was from My Affection, adapted by Nicholas Hytner and starring sing as her. Here, the director wanted the truth and Boston and was surely influenced by this city that has Jennifer Aniston. It is also the second time Karmann nothing but. Olson also wrote the song lyrics which maintained a very strong European feel. In my reading, I brings a book to the silver screen after Kennedy et moi, relate to all the film’s themes.