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FILM

French films with English subtitles to watch in April 2024

Lost in Frenchlation – the cinema club that screens French films with English subtitles – has seven films on offer, including one remastered classic, in April 2024.

Published: 22 March 2024 13:30 CET
French films with English subtitles to watch in April 2024
A bowl of popcorn in Paris (Photo by LOIC VENANCE / AFP)

Lost in Frenchlation has plenty in store for English-speakers looking to enjoy French cinema this April in Paris.

There are seven films on the docket, plus a meet and greet with the actress Louise Bourgoin and a special ice-cream tasting.

You can also subscribe to their weekly newsletter with more updates here, or visit their website Lost in Frenchlation.

Boléro

Thursday, April 4th 

Le Balzac theatre,1 Rue Balzac, 75008 Paris

Directed by Anne Fontaine, this film takes place in Paris in 1928. It tells the story of Maurice Ravel, who is chosen by the choreographer Ida Rubenstein to compose the music for her next ballet. As Ravel tries to find inspiration, he thinks back to key moments in his life.

Arrive early for pre-drinks at 7pm. The screening will start at 8pm, and it will be preceeded by a musical introduction.

Tickets – They range from €5.50 to €11.50, you can reserve them here. ​​

Les rois de la piste

Monday, April 8th

Luminor theatre, 20 Rue du Temple, 75004 Paris

Directed by Thierry Klifa, comedy-drama tells the story of a family of scammers, led by the matriarch Rachel who has raised her sons, Sam (played by the legendary Mathieu Kassovitz) and Jérémie, as well as her grandson, Nathan, to steal. When the family unknowingly takes a valuable painting, they are tracked across France by a clever detective, Céleste.

Arrive early for pre-drinks from 7pm. The screening begins at 8am, and it will be followed by a Q&A session with the director.

Tickets – Ranging from €7- €11. You can buy them here.

Quitter la nuit

Friday, April 14th

L’Entrepôt theatre, 7 Rue Francis de Pressensé, 75014 Paris

Directed by Delphine Girard, this film (known as ‘Through the Night’ in English) begins with Aly calling for help after being assaulted by Dary. Anna, the emergency responder, takes the call. Dary is arrested, but the story does not end there as the film continues to track the long-term effects of assault – both on the victim and the perpetrator.

Arrive early for the ‘Women of Paris’ tour at 5pm. Pre-drinks will start at 7pm, with the screening at 8pm.

Tickets – For the film, tickets cost between €7- €8.50 and can be purchased here.

Those for the tour cost €17. They can be purchased here.

QLN_FAwebinter_vostA from Lost in Frenchlation on Vimeo.

HLM Pussy

Friday, April 19th

Club de L’Etoile theatre,14 Rue Troyon, 75017 Paris

Directed by Nora El Hourch, this film has a lot to say about friendship and sisterhood. Amina, Djeneba and Zineb are teenagers and have been friends for years, but when one of the three posts a video on social media denouncing sexual assault, their friendship is put to the test.

Pre-drinks start at 7pm, and the screening begins at 8pm.

Tickets – Ranging from €10- €12, you can buy them here.

Bis Repetita

Monday, April 22nd

Cinéma du Panthéon, 13 Rue Victor Cousin, 75005 Paris

Directed by Émilie Noblet, this comedy film is about Delphine, a disillusioned Latin teacher who does not bother teaching her students, instead just giving them good grades in exchange for a quiet classroom. However, the situation takes a turn when her class’ high grades qualify them for the largest international Latin competition in Italy. For Delphine and her pupils, the only solution seems to be cheating.

Arrive early for pre-drinks at 7pm. The screening will start at 8pm, and it will be followed by a special Q&A with the lead actress, Louise Bourgoin.

Tickets – Ranging from €10- €12, they can be purchased here.

Peau d’Âne

Thursday, April 25th

L’Arlequin theatre, 76 Rue de Rennes, 75006 Paris

Directed by Jacques Demy, this classic French film (remastered) 1970 recreates the French fairytale. The story involves a wealthy king who promises his dying wife not to marry anyone more beautiful than her. After she dies, he realises that to keep this promise he would have to marry his own daughter. With the help of her Fairy Godmother, the daughter is able to resist his advances as she conceals herself under a donkey’s hide, eventually finding her prince charming.

Arrive early for the movie-themed walking tour at 5pm. Pre-drinks and ice cream will be served at 7pm, followed by the screening at 8pm.

Tickets – Ranging from €9.5- €12 for the film – you can buy them here.

If you want to take part in the tour, reserve your €17 ticket in advance here.

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CULTURE

Backstage artisans keep Moulin Rouge kicking

Even with the famous sails of its windmill gone, the Moulin Rouge never lets up: twice a night, 365 nights a year, in a whirlwind of feathers, rhinestones and sequins.

Published: 6 May 2024 08:13 CEST
Backstage artisans keep Moulin Rouge kicking

The sails of the 135-year-old cabaret in the Montmartre district of Paris collapsed last month — the cause remains unknown.

But with some 1,700 spectators still coming every evening, the show must go on. And while the 60-strong troupe of “Doriss Girls” — named after legendary choreographer Doris Haung — get all the attention, creating and maintaining their costumes is another huge and highly skilled job.

The show has daunting annual requirements: nearly 1,000 tailor-made outfits each requiring up to 250 hours of assembly, 800 pairs of shoes, and not forgetting the three kilometres of ostrich-feather boas.

READ MORE: 5 things to know about Paris’ iconic Moulin Rouge

The clacking of sewing machines backstage is a near-constant soundtrack before and after — and sometimes during — shows.

“We are on every evening. The costumes wear out… But the show must always be the same, at the highest quality,” the cabaret’s general director, Jean-Victor Clerico, 38, told AFP.

In the same family for four generations, the Moulin Rouge started buying up small artisan workshops in the 2000s — partly experts in featherwork and embroidery — that were struggling to survive in modern-day Paris.

“These artisans are a living heritage that risked disappearing, and they are essential for the show,” said Clerico.

“It was the duty of the Moulin to perpetuate their existence and allow the transmission of their knowledge to younger generations,” he added.

Mine Verges, 88, a costume designer since the 1960s, was one of the first to come under the Moulin’s umbrella.

Her workshop supplies and maintains the troupe, as well as many other clients.

“The most complicated costumes are those of the cabaret. Everything must be much more solid than normal clothing, and when there are feathers, it must above all be pleasant for the dancers,” she told AFP.

“Le Moulin was the first cabaret with whom I worked and it will be the last,” she said, adding that she was pleased her savoir-faire will be passed down.

Featherwork

Supplier to haute couture houses such as Hermes and Louis Vuitton, Maison Fevrier was set up in 1929 and is the last featherwork workshop in the heart of Paris.

Its “plumasserie” (fine feather work) has been officially recognised as a “living heritage” by the French government.

It became part of the Moulin family in 2009 and handles some three tonnes of ostrich, pheasant and rooster feathers for the cabaret each year.

Embroidery is handled by Atelier Valentin using the ancestral technique of Luneville crochet and chain stitch.

“The marvellous has always fascinated me. There is no limit to what you can embroider: sequins, pearls, rhinestones, repurposed metal pieces… The only imperative for a stage costume is to be strong,” said its director, Caroline Valentin, whose other clients including the Paris Opera, Disney, Givenchy and the Academie Francaise.

Shoes are another integral part of the show, especially for the energetic high-kicking antics of the Can-Can that conclude every evening.

Clairvoy, a cobblers founded in 1945, has been part of the Moulin’s operation since 2007.

Nicolas Maistriaux, 45, and his team make the troupe’s shoes, taking up to 60 hours to assemble each pair, not counting their maintenance and renewal when the dancers’ heels wear them out.

Kylie Minogue also called on Maison Clairvoy for her recent tour.

“Our jobs are rewarding beyond anything,” said Valentin. “We have the absolutely immense chance to create beauty… That’s what artistic craftsmanship is all about.”

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