New Zealand’s annual Cinema Gael celebration is back.
The 2023 edition of the Aotearoa French Film Festival will take place in 17 different cities across the country over the next six weeks.
Festival director Fergus Grady said the 23 fantastic films were chosen with care and attention, aiming to “fully immerse audiences in a culture known for its passion, style, sophistication and, of course, its cuisine, through a selection of dramas, thrillers and comedies”.
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Babies, Sugar and Other Stars, Jacques Mimoun and Secrets of Val Verde are among the great films presented this year as part of the Aotearoa French Film Festival.
The lineup includes the hit Mystery Masquerade on the Riviera, the November box office drama and smash hit A Good Doctor, Kristin Scott Thomas with the comedy Two Tickets to Greece, Simone Veil-biopic Woman of the Century and the latest installment in a movie. French. Most beloved family franchise – Belle & Sebastian: Next Generation.
However, after looking at the schedules and having the opportunity to preview some of the titles, Things to watch We’ve compiled a list of eight great watches to look out for.
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* Still: A Michael J. Fox Film: A Creative, Entertaining, Illuminating, and Endlessly Emotional Look at an Incurable Optimist
* Book Club: The Next Chapter: A frustrating waste of a truly remarkable acting talent
* Joss: A great Kiwi documentary that shines a light on the man who made more of an impact than underage
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Lambert Wilson collaborates with Gregory Jadebois on A Great Friend.
great friend (PG)
Ms. Harris continues to star as Lambert Wilson in Paris opposite Delicious Gregory Jadebois in this delightful comedy of mismatched friends.
Vincent (Wilson) is the urban founder of Europe’s largest dating site and the once voted sexist entrepreneur on the continent. Pierre (Gadebois) is a marine biologist who has retired to the jungle to watch over his widowed sister-in-law. When the former’s car breaks down, the latter comes to his rescue, but as Pierre struggles to get rid of his talkative guest, he begins to wonder if he did something wrong.
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Louis Garrel directed, co-wrote and starred as the troubled Abel in The Innocent.
innocent
The deft black comedy and tension-packed crime boss Louis Garrel directed, co-wrote, and starred in this poignant story about an aquarium worker who suspects that his mother’s reckless lover may not have fully broken with his shady past.
Although Michel (Roschdy Zem) has been released from prison, Abel (Garrel) calls on his best friend Clémence (Noémie Merlant) to help him keep a closer eye on his activities. However, it wasn’t long before their miserable attempts at observation collapsed.
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Fans of movies like Romancing the Stone and The Lost City should see Jack Mimoun & The Secrets of Val Verde.
Jacques Mimoun and the secrets of Val Verde (man)
An expensive cross between Romancing the Stone, Tropic Thunder, and The Lost City, it sees this “hell survivor” (Malik Bentalha) tricked into returning to the island that was apparently his three-month prison by Aurélie Diaz (Josephine Gaby). ), a single woman determined to end her adventurous father’s quest for a legendary diamond-encrusted pirate sword.
They are joined on their journey by the auspicious Principal Bruno (Jerome Commander) and the resolutely unpredictable mercenary pilot Jean-Marc Bastos (François Damien).
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Notre-Dame On Fire follows the fortunes of several visitors, staff, and first responders, as they fight to save Paris’ iconic cathedral.
Notre Dame on Fire (center)
Seven Years in Tibet, The Name of the Rose and Quest For Fire, Jean-Jacques Annaud takes Hollywood’s pioneering approach to disaster in the face of the events of April 15, 2019, when Paris’ iconic cathedral was threatened by the biggest fire since its completion. from its original construction. In 1345.
With swagger and elegance reminiscent of Roland Emmerich, Irwin Allen, or Michael Bay, we follow the fortunes of several visitors, employees, and first responders, as they fight to survive and save some of the irreplaceable treasures found at the site.
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Laure Calamy is the main title of the impressive Origin of Evil collection.
Origin of evil (not confirmed)
Succession and Knives fans should definitely see this thriller about a young woman whose long-awaited reunion with her biological father sees her, unexpectedly, in a power play with his eccentric current wife, ambitious daughter, and rebellious conniving granddaughter. maid. However, as it quickly becomes clear, there are more lies than facts being told.
Helping sell the stunning premise is a fine ensemble featuring Call My Agent, Full Time’s Laure Calamy, and La Belle Epoque’s Doria Tillier.
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Benedita Virginia Evira stars in another captivating performance in Children People.
other people’s children
After dazzling the world with her role as the eponymous nun in Paul Verhoeven’s Benedetta, Virginie Efira gives another fine performance in this masked drama about a 40-year-old high school teacher who embarks on a romantic relationship not only with the recently separated Ali. (Rushdi Zam), as well as her four-year-old daughter, Leila (Kale Ferreira-Goncalves).
The escalating, heartbreaking tension in writer-director Rebecca Zlotowski’s story (Planetarium) comes from the fact that Lila already has a mother (Chiara Mastroianni).
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Carmen Kassovitz as Zoe in Ride Above.
Climb (PG)
Aviator and Children of Men star Danny Huston joins Mélanie Laurent, Beau Marmay and Carmen Kassovitz in this fantastic drama about a girl whose dreams of becoming a knight appear to be shattered by a terrible accident.
As she struggles to come to terms with her new normal, her family’s financial future also increasingly hinges on her companions overcoming their own demons.
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Sugar and the stars should definitely not be watched on an empty stomach.
Sugar and stars (M)
With a display of slow-motion images of sumptuous dessert creations, this culinary drama from director Sebastien Tollard definitely comes with a caveat that you shouldn’t watch it on an empty stomach.
Riad Belaish is Yazeed, a troubled teen whose dream of becoming a pastry chef collides with an industry full of prejudice and competition to advance his career at his expense. However, he is determined not to give up his sworn profession without a fight.
L’Or French Film Festival Aotearoa 2023 will visit Whitianga (June 1-7), Kerikeri (June 1-7), Auckland (May 31-June 21), Tauranga (June 1-14), Masterton (June 1-14)7 June), Palmerston North (June 1-14), Hamilton (June 8-28), Wellington (June 8-28), Matakana (June 15-28), Napier (May 25-June 7), Havelock North (25th May to 28th May) New Plymouth (22nd June to 5th July), Nelson (1st to 14th June), Dunedin (15th to 28th June), Christchurch (5th May to 11th June), Arrowtown (June 2-June 11) and Wanaka (June 1-14).
For more information, locations and session times, see frenchfilmfestival.co.nz
