By Ariel Guertin –
What do a quirky left-wing activist, a 16th century princess, and a father and son from Chad have in common? They star in three of the six diverse, new films that will be screened during Salve Regina University’s 7th Annual French Film Festival. Over 2,000 spectators from the Salve Regina and Newport communities attended the festival last year alone and this year is certain to be just as enjoyable.
The festival opens at the historic Jane Pickens Theater in Newport on March 18 at 6:30 p.m. The French atmosphere features complimentary wine, Salve student ushers dressed as cigarette girls, and French café music. The opening film, “The Names of Love,” a playful and provocative romantic comedy with a splash of politics, begins at 7 p.m. Five more films follow every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday until March 29 and all subsequent screenings are in Bazarsky Lecture Hall.
All nights of the festival are completely free for students with a valid Salve student identification. Perks include a reception on Sunday, March 25 and complimentary coffee and French mini-desserts from The French Confection, a bakery with a French flair in Middletown, RI, on closing night. Other than the Sunday matinee on March 25 at 2 p.m., all films begin at 7 p.m.
Salve Regina students can also receive a credit for attending the festival as a workshop, even if they did not pre-register for it at the beginning of the semester. Simply register for FRN 085 by March 17. Students in the workshop attend four of the films and complete a small assignment to earn the workshop credit. The festival this year has something for everyone, from romantic comedy to historical piece, kidnap thriller to African drama. All films are accessible to non-Francophones with English subtitles and display the rich culture of France’s cinematic history, which has influenced film around the world. The subsequent films include:
Tuesday, March 20, 7 p.m. Rapt is a realistic kidnap thriller and compelling character study of a powerful industrialist who leads a double life.
Thursday, March 22, 7 p.m. The Princess of Montpensier/ La Princesse de Montpensier is a ravishing drama about the conflict between duty and passion, set against the background of the 16th century Catholic/Protestant Wars of Religion.
Sunday, March 25, 2 p.m. Le Havre is a humanistic tale of working-class community and friendship in the port city of Le Havre.
Tuesday, March 27, 7 p.m. A Screaming Man/Un Homme qui crie: Amidst job lay-offs and imminently approaching civil war, tension and envy threaten a close father-son bond in this moving drama from Chad.
Thursday, March 29, 7 p.m. Women on the 6th Floor/ Les Femmes du 6e étage is a comedy about class relations in Paris in the 1960s when bourgeois life is turned upside down by Spanish maids living on the 6th floor.
Visit the festival website at www.salve.edu/frenchfilm for more information or “LIKE” it on Facebook for frequent updates, trailers, and pictures at www.facebook. com/srufrenchfilmfestival. Start the homestretch of the semester off right when you return from Spring Break by experiencing this fun, culturally stimulating, and exciting community event!
