The Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, the College of Arts and Humanities, and the American Association of Teachers of French are currently sponsoring the second annual Tournées French Film Festival. This event brings six unique foreign films to the West Georgia campus for students to experience.
Many of these films are either animated or have roots in graphic novels, allowing for an environment where not only French students can enhance their experience outside of class, but also where art and film students can learn how to translate their in-class learning into the real world.
The purpose of this festival is two-fold. “The primary objective is … to expose students to a different cinematic aesthetic,” said Dr. Lisa Connell, Assistant Professor of French, who is responsible for assembling this festival.
“The second is to showcase student work… and to start a conversation across [student] disciplines.”
Light refreshments and a discussion follow each film to allow time for the audience to talk about what they have just seen. These discussions are led by professors such as Dr. Erin Lee Mock, Director of the Program in Film Studies, but also by student interns, who are learning how to gain public speaking experience while leading these dialogues in an academic yet low-key environment.
“We want students to take away not only a deeper knowledge of cinematic traditions in French,” Connell said, “but also hope that it makes their world bigger.”
These discussions will help bring depth to what the students are learning in their language, art, or film classes and will discuss topics of genre, culture, and thematic content of the film.
The first two films, Poulet aux prunes (Chicken With Plums) and Quai d’Orsay (The French Minister) screened Feb. 4 and Feb. 9, respectively.
While the first two films have already screened, there are four still left, including Ernest et Celestine (Ernest and Celestine), L’image manquante (The Missing Picture), and L’illusioniste (The Illusionist). These will be shown Feb.13, 17, and 19, respectively.
The last film of the festival will be the award-winning À bout de souffle (Breathless). This screening will be especially eventful because it will be prefaced by work from UWG students in Professor Erin Johnson’s art class. Following the film, film editor Nicolas Bussey will give a lecture and open the floor for discussion.
All screenings are scheduled in Callaway 145, and times vary depending upon the day of screening.
