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FILM

This ain’t the Oscars: Diversity aplenty at French awards

Actors from diverse backgrounds and movies tackling complex themes such as migration will be in the spotlight at France's top film awards on Friday, held two days before an Oscars ceremony under fire for being "too white".

This ain't the Oscars: Diversity aplenty at French awards
Acrtesses starring in Mustang, a film with nine nominations. Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images North America/AFP

With female filmmakers among the nominees and best actress nods from Algeria and Morocco, the broad showing of talent at the César Awards is a far cry from its Hollywood equivalent where a dearth of minority nominees has caused an outcry.

The Césars are the highlight of the French movie industry's calendar, and Michael Douglas will become the latest Hollywood star to pick up a lifetime achievement award during the ceremony.

The critically acclaimed Franco-Turkish production “Mustang” — also tipped for a best foreign language film Oscar — is a firm favourite at the Césars where it has received nine nominations.

“Mustang”, a debut film by Franco-Turkish director Deniz Gamze Erguven tells the story of five sisters in rural Turkey forced into arranged marriages.

Multiple nods have also been given to “Fatima”, a film about an immigrant Moroccan woman raising her children in France — she barely speaks French and they struggle with Arabic — which highlights the many issues around integration.

Another favourite, nominated nine times, is “Dheepan”, a thriller spotlighting the plight of Sri Lankan refugees in France that won the top
Palme D'Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival last year.

French director Jacques Audiard (C) smiles while posing in Cannes with Sri Lankan actress Kalieaswari Srinivasan (R) and Sri Lankan actor Jesuthasan Antonythasan. Photo: Loic Venance/AFP.


Migration theme



The hot-button topics come as Europe battles an unprecedented migrant crisis, which has inspired several filmmakers such as Italy's Gianfranco Rosi who won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for his documentary “Fire at Sea”.

Soria Zeroual, an Algerian-born actress is up for a best actress award for “Fatima”, and Moroccan Loubna Abidar who played a prostitute in “Much Loved” — which was banned in Morocco — is also in the running for the top award.

However French cinema royalty has not been forgotten in the Césars line-up.

Gerard Depardieu and Isabelle Huppert — who between them have racked up 32 Césars nods over the years — have been nominated for their roles as a couple reuniting for a trip through California's Death Valley after their son's suicide in “Valley of Love”.

Catherine Deneuve, 72, long-reigning queen of French cinema, picked up her 14th nomination for her supporting role as a judge trying to help a teenage delinquent in gritty urban drama “Standing Tall” (“La tete haute”).

The other big hopeful this year is opera singer biopic “Marguerite”, which along with “My Golden Days” — the story of an anthropologist in Tajikistan — scooped the most  nominations with 11 nods each.

French actress Catherine Frot stars in Marguerite. Photo: Martin Bureau/AFP

Women filmmakers are also strongly represented, taking three of the seven nods for best director, compared with the complete absence of women in that category at the Oscars.

FILM

French films with English subtitles to watch in November

As days get shorter and temperatures drop, November is a great month to enjoy a warm and comforting moment at the cinema. Here’s a round up of the French movies with English subtitles to see in Paris this month.

Cinema in France
Photo: Loic Venance/AFP

The cinema group Lost in Frenchlation runs regular screenings of French films in the capital, with English subtitles to help non-native speakers follow the action. The club kicks off every screening with drinks at the cinema’s bar one hour before the movie, so it’s also a fun way to meet people if you’re new to Paris.

These are the events they have coming up in November.

Friday, November 5th

Boîte Noire – What happened on board the Dubai-Paris flight before it crashed in the Alps? In this thriller Matthieu, a young and talented black box analyst played by Pierre Niney (star of Yves Saint-Laurent among other movies) is determined to solve the reason behind this deadly crash, no matter the costs. 

The screening will take place at the Club de l’étoile cinema at 8pm. But you can arrive early for drinks at the bar from 7pm. 

Tickets are €10 full price, €8 for students and all other concessions, and can be reserved here.

Sunday, November 14th

Tralala – In the mood for music? This new delightful French musical brings you into the life of Tralala (played by Mathieu Amalric), a 48 years old, homeless and worn-out street singer, who one day gets mistaken for someone else. Tralala sees an opportunity to get a better life by taking on a new personality. He now has a brother, nephews, ex-girlfriends, and maybe even a daughter. But where is the lie? Where is the truth? And who is he, deep down?

The night will start with drinks from 6pm followed by the screening at 7pm at the Luminor Hôtel de Ville cinema. There is also a two-hour cinema-themed walk where you’ll be taken on a “musicals movie tour” in the heart of Paris, which begins at 4pm.

Tickets cost €10, or €8 for students and concessions, and can be found here. Tickets for the walking tour cost €20 and must be reserved online here.

Thursday, November 18th

Illusions Perdues – Based on the great novel series by Honoré de Balzac between 1837 and 1843, this historical drama captures the writer Lucien’s life and dilemmas who dreams about a great career of writing and moves to the city to get a job at a newspaper. As a young poet entering the field of journalism, he is constantly challenged by his desire to write dramatic and eye-catching stories for the press. But are they all true?

The evening will kick off with drinks at L’Entrepôt cinema bar at 7pm, followed by the movie screening at 8pm. Tickets are available online here, and cost €8.50 full price; €7 for students and all other concessions.

Sunday, November 21st

Eiffel – Having just finished working on the Statue of Liberty, Gustave Eiffel (played by Romain Duris) is tasked with creating a spectacular monument for the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris. It’s ultimately his love story with Adrienne Bourgès (Emma Mackey) that will inspire him to come up with the idea for the Eiffel Tower.

After a first screening last month, Lost in Frenchlation is organising a new one at the Luminor Hôtel de Ville cinema, with pre-screening drinks at the cinema bar. 

Tickets cost €10, or €8 for students and concessions, and can be found here

Thursday, November 25th

Les Héroïques – Michel is a former junkie and overgrown child who only dreams of motorbikes and of hanging out with his 17-year-old son Léo and his friends. But at 50 years old, he now has to handle the baby he just had with his ex, and try not to make the same mistakes he has done in the past. 

The film will be followed by a Q&A with the director Maxime Roy who will discuss his very first feature. 

Tickets cost €10, or €8 for students and concessions, and can be found here.

Full details of Lost in Frenchlation’s events can be found on their website or Facebook page. In France, a health pass is required in order to go to the cinema.

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