Highlights of French Film Week Berlin
Embrace French cinema this December with Berlin’s first French Film Week Berlin. Now in its 13th year the event will take place from the 5th until the 11th December 2013 and allow viewers to not only witness a number of European Premieres, complete with directors and actors (and German subtitles), but also a number of lesser known masterpieces which are rarely screened. Organised by the French-German Institute, the prestigious Yorck Cinema Group, uniFrance Films and youth film festival Cinéfête, the event presents Francophone cinema at its best.
With a programme including 35 films and a mixture of comedy, drama, documentary and animation, selecting which films to watch can be a daunting task, so here we present some of the highlights…
Respectively New York. Image: © Studio Canal
Casse- tête chinois (Respectively New York) – Opening the event with screenings not only at Friedrichsain’s beloved Kino International but also the Cinéma Paris is Cédric Klapisch’s Casse- tête chinois. Released earlier this year, the film is the third chapter of the Spanish Apartment trilogy following the life of 40 year old Xavier, as pictured above.
Blue Is The Warmest Colour. Image: Courtesy of French Film Week Berlin
La vie d’Adèle (The Life of Adèle) – The European premiere of the French romantic drama will take place on Sunday 8th December at both Cinéma Paris and Filmtheater am Friedrichshain. La vie d’Adèle, or Blue Is the Warmest Colour as it is also known, was directed by Abdellatif Kechiche and won the Palme d’Or at this years Cannes Film Festival – if this doesn’t get you excited, we don’t know what will!
Björk & Catherine Deneuve in Dancer in the Dark. Image: © Constantin Film
Un conte de Noël (A Christmas Tale) – Kino Arsenal are celebrating this year’s French Film Week with a tribute to the ever aloof Catherine Deneuve, the epitome of all things French cinema. On Friday 6th December Kino Arsenal will play host to the actress and screen her 100th movie, Un conte de Noël, to begin the tribute, which will run until 11th December and present ten of Deneuve’s films including cult classic Dancer in the Dark; pictured above.
Further highlights include an exclusive screening of animated movie Jasmine, which received an enormous 26 European film award nominations, and also the Canadian film Gabrielle, an uplifting drama film about a choir singer and her first love, directed by Louise Archambault.
A lovely opportunity to celebrate French cinema by yourself or with friends, this year’s French Film Festival Berlin is an excellent excuse to watch some of the classics you’ve been meaning to, and also indulge in some French dining to complete the experience. During the event Hotel Concorde’s French Brasserie Le Faubourg will be offering an exclusive 3 course meal and film screening package – find more information on this here.
French Film Week Berlin
5-11th December 2013
Various Venues across Berlin
Full listings here.
