patronage F ocus on French Cinema is non-profit event held by the Alliance Française of Greenwich, French Feeling Films, and Tournées, in partnership with Purchase College, Westchester Accueil, the Greenwich Arts Council and the Délégation Générale du Québec in New York. It is placed under the patronage of his Excellency the Ambassador of France to the United States, Monsieur Jean-David Levitte, his Excellency the Consul Général of France to New York, Monsieur François Delattre, and Monsieur Michel Robitaille, Québec Delegate General in New York. The festival was made possible with the support of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy and the French Minister of Culture. (CNC) table of contents 5 - letter from the chairs 18 - Le Bonheur, c’est une 7 - schedule at a glance chanson triste 9 - who we are 20 - L’Anniversaire 11 -our partners 22 - Rois et Reines the movies sunday, march 26 friday, march 24 23 - Brodeuses 12 - Monsieur N. 24 - Mon petit doigt m’a dit 13 - Moolaadé 26 - Les Soeurs fâchées 14 - Le Petit Lieutenant 27 - Confidences trop intimes saturday, march 25 29 - the Festival committee 31 - our mission statement 16 - Breakfast Meet the directors 33 - merci to our sponsors 17 - La Petite Lili 37 - information & directions Focus on French Cinema 2006 Focus on French Cinema 2006 3 information & directions Web site www.focusonfrenchcinema.org Check the website during the year to updated nformation about Focus on French Cinema 2007. On site Additional tickets can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center. Festival T-Shirts will be on sale, $20. Sandwiches from Méli-Mélo will be sold on site from 11:30 AM. Directions to the Performing Arts Center FROM NEW YORK CITY & SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER Take the Henry Hudson Parkway North to The Cross County Parkway then to The Hutchinson River Parkway North. Follow the Hutch north to exit 28. Turn left at the bottom of the ramp onto Lincoln Avenue. After about 1 Mile, take a right onto Anderson Hill Road. Take a left at the next light onto the campus of Purchase College. FROM CONNECTICUT & NEW ENGLAND Take the Merritt Parkway south through Greenwich and into New York State. Take New York exit 28, Lincoln Avenue. Take a right at the bottom of the ramp onto Lincoln Avenue. A the end of Lincoln Avenue (about 1 mile), take a right onto Anderson Hill Road. Take your first left onto the campus of Purchase College. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION-METRO NORTH'S HARLEM LINE From Grand Central Station, take Metro North's Harlem line to White Plains. Once in White Plains take a taxi from the station to Purchase College. Or, walk to the bus station across the street and take the #12 Bee Line Bus to Purchase College. We hope you enjoyed your festival and that we will have the pleasure to see you next Focus on French Cinema 2006 Focus on French Cinema 2006 37 a letter from the chairs ast year’s adventure of starting a Festival of French Cinema was a success thanks to the trust of our partners, sponsors, our guest directors from France and the great audience. The 2006 version Lexpands on the same ingredients of genuine emotion and brings more of everything: we have more films (11 total), more directors and actors to share their vision with you, a larger theater and 3 US premieres to make you feel the thrill of a new movie. We wanted to open the selection of films from other francophone countries and welcome The Delegation Generale du Qubec as a new partner. Finally but not least, more partners and sponsors joined us to support our passion for cinema allowing us to reach a larger audience including students with dedicated movies. It is a hard choice to choose among 200 new French films released each year. We want to show a whole variety of situations, presented with an angle, a specific touch, that might well be the real definition of French Cinema: from the young graduate from the police academy who dreams of fighting crime, to the 17 year old Claire who wants to hide her pregnancy ; from the Napoleon demoted of Monsieur N., so human in his weakness to the harsh of friendship in L’Anniversaire, not mentioning the unrealistic secrets of an Agatha Christie mystery set in Switzerland, to the eccentricity, yet so profound Rois et Reine (Kings and Queen)… With it comes a whole array of emotions that we wanted to share with you. Our guests for this year are Diane Kurys and Pascal Thomas, both famous directors, Anne Marie Cadieux from Québec and Jalil Lespert among the young leading actors in France. They are the best ambassadors of their art and their culture, they are our gift to you. It’s a great privilege to welcome them here for the second edition of the festival Focus on French Cinema. We wish that, like us, this festival starts for you the beginning of a love story: the love of great cinema, the celebration of French Cinema with a twist. Catherine, Renee, Gail, Isabelle, Catherine and Florence Focus on French Cinema 2006 Focus on French Cinema 2006 Focus on French Cinema 2006 36 5 opening night sponsors JEAN-LOUIS Focus on French Cinema 2006 Focus on French Cinema 2006 Focus on French Cinema 2006 6 35 schedule at a glance E FRIDAY 5:00 pm IER REM L’Anniversaire S P Dir. Diane Kurys U 12:30 pm Introduction by Iris Cahn, film editor, Monsieur N Professor of Film Dir. Antoine de Caunes Q&A with Diane Kurys, director Introduction by Geoff Field, Professor of European History 8:00 pm Rois et Reine 3:30 pm Dir. Arnaud Desplechin Moolaadé Q&A with Anne Kern, Professor of Dir. Ousmane Sembène Cinema Studies Introduction by Elise Lemire, Associate Professor of Literature Round table discussion SUNDAY OPENING NIGHT 7:30 pm 12:00 pm Le Petit Lieutenant Brodeuses Dir. Xavier Beauvois Dir. Eléonore Faucher Introduction by David Schwartz, chief Introduction by Tristane Theisen, curator at the Museum of Moving Image professional translator and graduate in Q&A with Jalil Lespert actor comparative literature, The Sorbonne Buffet “après-théâtre” 2:30 pm E ER Mon Petit Doigt m’a dit EMI SATURDAY PR Dir. Pascal Thomas US Introduction by Ronnie Scharfman, 10:00 am Professor of French Breakfast Meet the Directors / actors Q&A with Pascal Thomas, director With Diane Kurys, Anne Marie Cadieux, Jalil Lespert, Pascal Thomas, David 5:00 pm Schwartz, Patrick Gimenez, Anne Kern, Les Sœurs Fâchées Ronnie Scharfman... Dir. Alexandra Leclère Introduction by Irina Patkanian, 12.00 pm Associate Profesor of Media Production La Petite Lili Dir. Claude Miller 7:30 pm Introduction by Masha Salazkina, Confidences trop intimes Assistant Professor Film Studies Dir. Patrice Leconte Introduction and Q&A to follow with Dr. 2:30 pm Joseph Youngerman, psychiatrist Le Bonheur, c’est une chanson triste Dir. François Delisle All screenings Pepsico Theatre - Introduction by Deanna Kamiel, Performing Arts Center - Purchase, NY. documentary filmmaker, Professor of Film All screenings are in French with English Q&A with Anne Marie Cadieux, actress subtitles. Focus on French Cinema 2006 Focus on French Cinema 2006 7 sponsor merci beaucoup... any thanks to the following supporters of the festival Fo- M cus on French Cinema 2006: >> the foundations >> our opening night sponsors The Florence Gould Foundation >> cuisine and food Bread Venture The Norman Foundation D’Artagnan as directed by Sandy and Terry Ann Weil Délégation Générale du Québec The Raymond Debbane Family Foun- Jean-Louis Dumonet, Saks Fifth avenue dation Kathinka & Niel from Fjord Catering Anonymus La Bonne Cuisine Catering sponsor of Méli-Mélo restaurant Restaurant JEAN-LOUIS >> our sponsors ShopRite Meet the Director Breakfast >> producers White Toque Air France JLToGo catering by JEAN-LOUIS, pre CALYON Crédit Lyonnais theatre welcoming amuse bouche CIC Crédit Industriel et Commercial >> beverages LVMH Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy Continental Wine Le Wine Shop Slocum & Sons salutes >> directors Champagne Pommery Titra Films Group Perrier / Nestlé Van Cleef & Arpels >> and our generous donors Focus on French Cinema >> actors Mr & Mrs Robert Corroon JC Decaux Michael & Gail Covney 2006 Bill & Meri Erickson French American School of New York Bao & Sandra Finch-Nguyen Kinko’s Mrs Erika Hall Renée Ketcham Sir Speedy Stamford Bernard and Catherine Laleuf TV5 Etienne & Catherine Lamairesse Logfret, Inc. Pam & Chris Tasik >> supporting actors Denis & Katia Streiff Lecoq cuisine Daniel & Suzie Vock Logfret, Inc. Mimi Wind Focus on French Cinema 2006 Focus on French Cinema 2006 Focus on French Cinema 2006 Focus on French Cinema 2006 8 33 who we are school where adults and children can Alliance learn French with native speakers: all Française level including conversation, AllianceFrancaise accelerated courses, French for of Greenwich travelers… The AFG awards scholarships to students in French in An organization whose mission is to local public and private schools. promote and further the knowledge of French Culture and language and to A resource center, conveniently reinforce friendship between American located in downtown Greenwich, in the and French people. Greenwich Arts Center Building, that provides books, magazines, videos, An international community of more DVD's and information about France. than 300 francophiles and francophones that organizes activities The Alliance Française of Greenwich and events (lectures, conversations, was founded in 1918 and is a non- book club, Cine-club, theater…), profit organization. targeted toward the French culture. http://www.afgreenwich.org French Feeling Films rected by two professionals of the movie industry for the last 20 years. Patrick Gimenez and André Lazare have produced and distributed, alone or together, over 150 films. An American company distributing They are located in Miami and in Paris.