Five films representing the diversity and scope of contemporary French cinema join a timeless classic as the Tournées Festival of New French Films on Campus returns to Northern Kentucky University this spring, providing area movie fans with another slate of five critically acclaimed regional premieres.
The movies include the latest from the contemporary French master Arnaud Desplechin, a new critically-acclaimed film by Academy Award-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, a wry and poignant romantic comedy, a charming animated feature for young and old alike, and a delightful tour de force for legendary French actress Catherine Deneuve.
For the first time, the Tournées will also feature a classic film selection highlighting an essential work from the history of French cinema. The series will screen Jean-Paul Godard’s 1960 New Wave masterpiece Breathless / A bout de soufflé, his tribute and deconstruction of the American crime movie that remains one of the most influential films ever made.
Once again, the movies will be screened in Griffin Hall’s George and Ellen Rieveschl Digitorium on the NKU campus. With large-screen digital tile projection, multiple-speaker surround sound, and stadium-style seating, the Digitorium offers one of the finest digital viewing experiences in the region.
The Tournées is a program sponsored by the French American Cultural Exchange, which provides grant money for colleges and universities to host film festivals showcasing some of the best of recent French cinema. In 2010, the NKU Cinema Studies Program along with the departments of English and world languages and literatures, made NKU the first school in the area to host the Tournées, and this year marks the fifth time the Tournées has come to NKU.
“We have once again chosen five exciting films that represent the diversity of modern French and French language film, all being shown in our state-of-the-art Digitorium,” said John Alberti, NKU director of cinema studies. “This year, we are especially excited to introduce our classic selection of Jean-Paul Godard’s Breathless, a must-see for any movie fan. We invite all film lovers to our campus to celebrate the continuing vitality and excitement of French language cinema.”
All the movies feature subtitles in English.
A new film will be shown each Thursday at 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. from April 2 through May 7 in the Griffin Hall Digitorium. Admission is free to students and anyone with an NKU ID and just $5 for the general public. Each screening will be followed by a discussion led by an NKU faculty member.
The 2015 program schedule includes:
· April 2: Ernest Et Célestine (Ernest and Celestine)
· April 9: Le Passé (The Past)
· April 16: A Bout De Souffle (Breathless)
· April 23: 2 Automnes, 3 Hivers (2 Autumns, 3 Winters)
· April 30: Jimmy P.
· May 7: Elle S’en Va (On My Way)
Film synopses and trailers are available here.
For more information or advanced tickets, contact John Alberti in the NKU Department of English at (859) 572-5578 or at alberti@nku.edu.
From NKU