CULTURAL SERVICES OF THE FRENCH EMBASSY PRESS RELEASE

A Summer Holiday with Films on the Green FREE FRENCH SCREENINGS IN NYC PARKS THIS JUNE - JULY

New York, April 21, 2011 — From the seaside villages of Brittany to the rocky hills of southern Provence, Films on the Green will take you on a cinematic tour of this summer. In its fourth year, Films on the Green, co-organized by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation is offering free outdoor screenings in New York City Parks.

Summer Vacation is the theme of the 2011 film line-up, visited through an array of styles and genres over the course of seven screenings and a special event. New this year: Films on the Green will extend its Manhattan reach to the west side at Riverside Park – Pier 1 and Columbia University; the NY premiere of the comedy Those Happy Days June 10; Films on the Green @COLUMBIA a special back to school screening Thursday, September 8, organized in partnership with The Maison Française of Columbia University.

“We are pleased to partner with the Cultural Services of the French Embassy to bring a series of free, outdoor French film screenings to New York City parks this summer,” said Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “I encourage all New Yorkers to take advantage of this cinematic tour and experience the joie de vivre of viewing films en plein air amid the tranquility of nature in New York City’s parks.”

"In it's fourth year and ever expanding, we are delighted to announce that the Films on the Green Festival will offer more French films in more parks than ever before, extending its reach to New Yorkers from Harlem to the East Village," said Antonin Baudry, Cultural Counselor of the French Embassy.

Fridays in June and July: screenings at dusk / Films on the Green @COLUMBIA screening at 7:30pm. All events are free and open to the public. June 3 ~ 8:30pm Central Park – Cedar Hill (79th St & 5th Ave) The Swimming Pool June 10 ~ 8:30pm Washington Square Park Those Happy Days June 17 ~ 8:30pm Washington Square Park A Summer’s Tale June 24 ~ 8:30pm Tompkins Square Park Contempt July 1 ~ 8:30pm Tompkins Square Park Mr. Hulot’s Holiday July 8 ~ 8:30pm Riverside Park – Pier 1 (at 70th St) Towards Zero July 15 ~ 8:30pm Riverside Park – Pier 1(at 70th St) My Father’s Glory Sept. 8 ~ 7:30pm Columbia University – Low Library Steps Two Days in Paris

Enjoy the feelings and flavors of summer with a cinematic tour of France: Travel to Brittany for romance, comedy and mystery: A Summer’s Tale by acclaimed director Eric Rohmer; Jacques Tati's timeless French classic Mr. Hulot's Holiday; and the screen adaptation of Agatha Christie's Towards Zero, starring Laura Smet and Chiara Mastroianni. Explore the Mediterranean with two dramas: The Swimming Pool with charismatic duo and and Jean-Luc Godard's Contempt starring the iconic Brigitte Bardot. Relax to the sounds of crickets in Provence with My Father's Glory then go camping with Those Happy Days, but don’t expect to rest with a bunch of mischievous kids and blundering camp counselors. Finally, say goodbye to summer at Columbia with a romantic comedy, Two Days in Paris starring Julie Delpy and Adam Goldberg.

The Cultural Services of the French Embassy and the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation would like to thank our official sponsors: BNP PARIBAS and TV5 MONDE.

Films on the Green Festival is on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/hQxPuG and Twitter @FilmsontheGreen

Detailed information about the eight movies can be found below. Photos: http://www.frenchculture.org/PR/Films-on-the-Green/PressPack2011.zip Festival Officer: Press Contact: Website: Nathalie CHARLES Judith WALKER www.frenchculture.org (212) 439 1425 (212) 439 1407 Press Room Username: press [email protected] [email protected] Password: pressattach 1 FILM CAPSULES - JUNE

Screening: June 3 – Dusk (around 8:30pm) The Swimming Pool th th La Piscine Central Park – Cedar Hill (79 St & 5 Ave)

Genre: Crime / Drama Lovers Jean-Paul (Delon) and Marianne (Schneider), spend Language: French (with English subtitles) their vacation in a luxury villa above St. Tropez. One day Jean- Duration: 120 min Paul's best friend and Marianne’s former lover Harry and his Director: Jacques Deray disruptive teenage daughter, Penelope arrive and disturb their Starring: Romy Schneider, Alain Delon, peaceful vacation. The atmosphere, initially friendly and Jane Birkin, indolent, gradually becomes tense. Date: 1969 MPAA Rating: PG

"In retrospect a more apposite reference is perhaps Chabrol - the meals as splendid, the characters as impeccably bourgeois, a lethal outcome just as much a foregone conclusion." —Time Out (London) "Icily erotic. The setup manages to suggest both Jean Renoir‟s dancing-on-the-precipice film „The Rules of the Game‟ and Godard‟s consumerist death trip „Weekend.‟ An established favorite in France but remains essentially unknown here.” —New York Times

Those Happy Days Screening: June 10 – Dusk (around 8:30pm) Washington Square Park Nos Jours Heureux New York Premiere

Genre: Comedy For the first time in his life Vincent Rousseau (Rouve) is at the Language: French (with English subtitles) head of a summer camp in the south of France. Between the Duration: 103 min blundering camp counselors, the untenable 80 kids and the Directors: Olivier Nakache and Eric unexpected visit of Children’s Services, these three weeks will Toledano be more eventful than expected. Summer camps are not Starring: Jean-Paul Rouve, Marilou necessarily a vacation for everyone! Berry, Omar Sy, Julie Fournier Date: 2006 MPAA Rating: Not Rated

COL•COA Audience Award, City Of Lights, City Of Angels French Film Festival, Los Angeles 2006 "Amusing and touching at satisfying intervals, modest but solid pic boasts believable archetypes, funny situations and a surprise punchline"— Variety

A Summer’s Tale Screening: June 17 – Dusk (around 8:30pm) Washington Square Park Conte d’été Gaspard (Poupaud) spends his summer holiday in Brittany, Genre: Comedy / Romance expecting his girlfriend Lena (Nolin) to arrive. She doesn’t and Language: French (with English subtitles) he is left alone to sunbathe and compose tunes on his guitar. Duration: 113 min He strikes up a friendship with Margot (Langlet), a young Director: Eric Rohmer waitress. Although they spend a great deal of time together, Starring: Melvil Poupaud, Amanda Gaspard is approached by Solène (Simon), a seductive young Langlet, Gwenaëlle Simon, woman. This liaison appears promising until Léna suddenly Aurelia Nolin appears... Date: 1996 MPAA Rating: Rated G

“The movie draws you into a romantic quadrangle in which the emotional climate is as subtle and shifting as life itself: young, relatively carefree life, that is.” – New York Times “The tone is light […] but the film gathers force as it plays out.”—San Francisco Chronicle

2 Contempt Screening: June 24 – Dusk (around 8:30pm) Tompkins Square Park Le Mépris Parisian screenwriter Paul Javal (Piccoli) and his wife Camilla Genre: Drama (Bardot) join director and American film producer Language: French (with English subtitles) Jeremy Prokosch (Palance) on the set of new film version of Duration: 103 min The Odyssey in Italy. Camille is not happy about this long Director: Jean-Luc Godard journey away from home and among strangers... Starring: Brigitte Bardot, , Fritz Lang, Jack Palance Date: 1963 MPAA Rating: Rated PG

“They don't make them like this anymore. Point of fact, they never did; Godard's Contempt is a once-a-century cultural constellation.” – The Village Voice “The rerelease of "Contempt" is, however, a revelation -- it emerges as one of Godard's most emotional films.”— Salon

FILM CAPSULES – JULY

Mr. Hulot’s Holiday Screening: July 1 – Dusk (around 8:30pm) Tompkins Square Park Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot It is summertime in France, and Mr. Hulot, like many others, Genre: Comedy has decided to spend his vacation at a seaside resort. Even Language: French (with English subtitles) though Mr. Hulot is a pretty quiet fellow, accidents and Duration: 83 min misunderstandings follow him wherever he goes and the Director: Jacques Tati peace and quiet of his fellow hotel guests does not last long. Starring: Jacques Tati, Nathalie Pascaud While his intentions are always good but his adventures Date: 1953 always end disastrously… MPAA Rating: Not Rated

Nominated Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Academy Awards 1956 Nominated Grand Prize, 1953 “The movie is constructed with the meticulous attention to detail of a Keaton or Chaplin. “—Chicago Sun Times

Towards Zero Screening: July 8 – Dusk (around 8:30pm) Riverside Park – Pier 1 at 70th St L’Heure Zéro Whatever possessed Guillaume Neuville (Poupaud) to invite Genre: Comedy / Mystery his ex-wife Aude (Mastroianni) and his current wife Caroline Language: French (with English subtitles) (Smet) to spend the summer vacation at his rich aunt Duration: 104 min (Darrieux)’s home in Brittany? Two Mrs Neuville beneath the Director: Pascal Thomas same roof is one too many in this adaptation of Agatha Starring: Danielle Darrieux, François Christie’s novel. Morel, Laura Smet, Melvil Poupaud, Chiara Mastroianni Date: 2007 MPAA Rating: Not Rated

“[…] Who brutally murdered the hostess? The question is purely rhetorical; the simple joys of Clue are enough to carry a film that does not pretend to be anything than entertainment.” —Les Cahiers du Cinéma "Casting is tip-top, with Smet having a ball as the highly strung (and sexed) Caroline, Poupaud all charm as the wastrel Guillaume and even small roles, such as dotty maid Emma, adding to the sense of fun. "—Variety

3 My Father’s Glory Screening: July 15 – Dusk (around 8:30pm) Riverside Park – Pier 1 at 70th St La Gloire de mon Père This film recounts the early childhood years of Genre: Biography / Drama / Comedy . Growing up in the south of France in a happy Language: French (with English subtitles) family environment, Marcel (Ciamaca) is the son of a primary Duration: 105 min school teacher Joseph (Caubère). One summer, the family Director: Yves Robert sets out for a long holiday in a villa in Provence. There, Marcel Starring: Philippe Caubère, Nathalie befriends a local boy with whom he explores the wild Roussel, Julien Ciamaca, countryside and witnesses his father’s glory during a game Didier Pain hunt. Date: 1990 MPAA Rating: Rated G

Best Film Golden Space Needle Award Seattle International Film Festival 1991 "[…] when you combine a gorgeously filmed Provencal landscape with the writings of Frenchman Marcel Pagnol (1895-1974), you get as radiant a sunburst of movie magic as anyone could want."—The Seattle Times

FILM CAPSULE – FILMS ON THE GREEN @COLUMBIA

Two Days in Paris Screening: September 8 – Dusk (around 7:30pm) Columbia University / Low Library Steps Deux Jours à Paris In partnership with The Maison Française of Columbia Genre: Comedy / Romance University (www.maisonfrancaise.org) Language: French (with English subtitles) Duration: 96 min Marion (Delpy), a French photographer, lives in New York with Director: Julie Delpy Jack (Goldberg), an interior designer. After a brief stay in Starring: Julie Delpy, Adam Goldberg Venice, they decide to go to Paris to visit Marion's family. But Date: 2007 the romantic getaway is cut short: between Marion’s bizarre MPAA Rating: R parents, her numerous ex-boyfriends and Jack’s obsession for photography, their relationship is tense!

"[…] you strain not to miss a word of their smart, revealing and frequently crazy repartee"—New York Times "Delpy and Goldberg invoke the Woody Allen-Diane Keaton chemistry of the 70‟s"—Village Voice

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