Our favourite films to see at this years Cork French Film Festival
The 31st Cork French Film festival will be kicking off the show on the 4th of March at The Gate Cinema. This year will feature some of greatest French film makers and their films for what is set to be a fantastic week of film. We’ve put together a list of our favourite films showing this week.
They open with Proxima, starring Eva Green and Matt Dillon, nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar and the French César Award. It takes place during the space training for Sarah, a mother who is trying to balance her work life, as she prepares for a year long stay on the International Space Station as well as her family life with 8 year old daughter, Stella. The film directed by Alice Winocour is different as they used real training exercise at the European Space Agency. It has already won awards at the Toronto Film Festival, San Sebastien and Rotterdamn Film Festivals. It has proven to be a fan favourite.
Systéme K is a documentary which follows a group of street artists in the Democratic Republic of Congo as they create art using nothing but recycled materials they can find. Directed by Renaud Barrett, it takes place in Kinshasa, a city where political and social chaos is rife, yet these young artists are beginning to use their bodies and art to express their anger and their dreams for change. The artists in the film skirt censorship in DRC, by not mentioning any names of their leaders, they understand that their own leaders are puppets to the mining companies, and instead use their art to critique government corruption and western exploitation. The documentary sheds light on the hardship of living in country torn apart by civil wars and corruption, and the vibrant arts scene that allows the people to express themselves.
The closing film is La Verité, a film by Hirokazue Kore-eda. It is an excellent piece on familial bonds as it follows Fabienne, a self-centred actress who releases a memoir that stirs up unresolved childhood resentments in her daughter. The character of Fabienne is perfectly encapsulated by the quote, "I'd prefer to have been a bad mother and a bad friend but a good actress". The film plays with similar themes from Kore-eda other films in a delightfully sensitive way only he can achieve. Catherine Deneuve as Fabienne, blurs the line between herself and the character, she suits the role perfectly which makes for some amazing film to watch.
If these films do not tickle your fancy, don’t worry, there are plenty more films to see during the festival. There is something for everyone in the family. Tickets for all films are available at the Gate Cinema and will be shown all throughout the day.
For more information visit https://corkfrenchfilmfestival.com/
