Batch of quality films to be screened at French Film Festival
By Joko E.H. Anwar
JAKARTA (JP): We get a few film festivals here every year, whether they be from Iran, Britain, Mexico or an international mix such as at JIFFest.
Film lovers, hungry for something good to feast their eyes on, crowd the theaters during the showings, for they do not have any local filmmakers to shout about and most of the regular-run movies here are typically bland Tinseltown fare.
So the idea of organizing a film festival celebrating foreign films, such as the French Film Festival which opened on Thursday and continues in Jakarta through June 10, is a perfect wake-up call -- or even a hard slap across the face -- for local filmmakers to start doing more than dabbling in other things like politics or producing juvenile, second-rate movies.
The French Film Festival will feature 19 quality films that will be in the running for several awards at the end of the festival (it also travels to Bandung on June 9 and June 10 and Surabaya, Balikpapan and Yogyakarta later in the month). The jury includes actresses Alya Rohali, Ayu Azhari and Paramitha Rusadi, MTV veejay Sarah Sechan and, for the tongue firmly in cheek award, Lisa Raema Rumbewas, an Olympic medal winning athlete (even she has admitted knowing next to nothing about French film).
For the public, it's the films that matter. Comedies will highlight the festival, which will be held at three venues: TIM GBB and TIM 21 in Central Jakarta, and Blok M 21 in South Jakarta.
French film director Charles Nemes will attend a film discussion on June 8 at TIM GBB while actress Clothilde Courau is an honorary member of the jury.
Unlike most film festivals held here which dig into the vaults, the French Film Festival will show recent releases.
Below are summaries of the films. All entries are in French, but have either English or Indonesian subtitles. Tickets can be purchased at the venues and at Carrefour stores for Rp 7,500 each.
La verticale de l'iti. (Drama/English subtitles). Directed by Anh Hung Tran.
A beautiful film which tells the story of three siblings who get together to commemorate the death of their mother but end up revealing their shocking secrets.
TIM 21 June 8, 9: 7:05 p.m.; June 10: 2:15 p.m.; Blok M 21 June 2: 6:15 p.m.; June 3: 8:30 p.m.; June 4: 1:45 p.m.; TIM GBB June 9: 2 p.m.
Ga ira mieux demain. (Comedy/English subtitles). Directed by Jeanne Labrune.
The lives of several people go wrong in hilarious ways because of a piece of furniture.
Blok M 21 June 2: 8:30 p.m.; June 3: 1:45 p.m.; June 4: 4 p.m.; TIM 21 June 5: 9:15 p.m.; June 6: 2:15 p.m.; June 7: 4:55 p.m.
Ipouse-moi. (Comedy-romance/English subtitles). Directed by Harriet Marin.
A woman with marital problems seeks help from a fortune teller but rejects the sad prediction.
TIM 21 June 2: 2:15 p.m.; June 3: 9:15 p.m.; June 4: 7:05 p.m.; Blok M 21 June 5: 8:30 p.m.; June 6: 1:45 p.m.; June 7: 4 p.m.
Gamer. (Action/English subtitles). Directed by Patrick Levy. A video game freak creates what could be the game of the century, but he has to face a big company which want to steal his idea.
TIM GBB June 3: 2 p.m.; TIM 21 June 2: 9:15 p.m.; June 3: 7:05 p.m.; June 4: 4:55 p.m.; June 10: 9:15 p.m.; Blok M 21 June 5: 6:15 p.m.; June 6: 8:30 p.m.; June 7: 1:45 p.m.
Le Got des autres. (Comedy/Indonesian subtitles). Directed by Agnes Jaoui.
Funny, touching ensemble piece about a successful businessman who meets assorted characters in a bar.
TIM GBB June 2: 5 p.m.; June 4: 2 p.m.; June 5: 5 p.m.; June 7: 7 p.m.
Harry, un ami qui vous veut du bien. (Suspense- Drama/Indonesian subtitles). Directed by Dominik Moll.
It is going to be a troublesome vacation for Michel and Claire and their three daughters when a friend suddenly shows up.
TIM GBB June 2: 10 a.m.; June 4: 7 p.m.; June 7: 5 p.m.; June 9: 10 a.m.
Jet set. (Comedy/Indonesian subtitles). Directed by Fabien Onteniente.
A group of jet-setters reveal their way of life. Not funny enough.
TIM GBB June 3: 10 a.m.; June 5: 7 p.m.; June 7: 2 p.m.; June 8: 5 p.m.
Mademoiselle. (Romance-Comedy/English subtitles). Directed by Philippe Lioret.
A saleswoman and an acrobat meet and find lust, love and broken hearts.
TIM GBB June 9: 5 p.m.; TIM 21 June 8: 9:15 p.m.; June 9: 9:15 p.m.; Blok M 21 June 10: 8:30 p.m.
Meilleur espoir feminin. (Comedy/English subtitles). Directed by Gerard Jugnot.
A hairdresser realizes that his daughter has grown up and tries to stop her from dreaming of becoming an actress.
Blok M 21 June 2: 4 p.m.; June 3: 6:15 p.m.; June 4: 8:30 p.m.; TIM 21 June 5: 2:15 p.m.; June 6: 4:55 p.m.; June 7: 7:05 p.m.
Merci pour le chocolat. (Crime-Drama/English subtitles). Directed by Claude Chabrol.
A young woman is told that she may have been switched at birth, so she ingratiates herself with the other family to get to know them.
TIM 21 June 5: 7:05 p.m.; June 6: 9:15 p.m.; June 7: 2:15 p.m.; Blok M 21 June 8: 1:45 p.m.; June 9: 4 p.m.; 6:15 p.m.; June 10: 6:15 p.m.
Mercredi, folle journie! (Drama-Comedy/English subtitles). Directed by Pascal Thomas.
A man and his young daughter get to know each other by taking a trip during a school holiday.
Blok M 21 June 8: 4 p.m.; 8:30 p.m. TIM 21 June 9: 4:55 p.m.; June 10: 7:05 p.m.
Le Placard. (Comedy/Indonesian subtitles). Directed by Francis Veber.
An employee of a big corporation is about to get fired but rumors about his homosexuality change everything.
TIM GBB June 2: 7 p.m.; June 5: 2 p.m.; June 6: 5 p.m.; June 10: 10 a.m.
Le Prince du Pacifique. (Comedy/English subtitles). Directed by Alain Corneau.
During a war in Europe, a military captain arrives on a small island and finds out that a crazed military man is ruling the little paradise.
Blok M 21 June 2: 1:45 p.m.; June 3: 4 p.m.; June 4: 6:15 p.m.; TIM 21 June 5: 4:55 p.m.; June 6: 7:05 p.m.; June 7: 9:15 p.m.
Promenons-nous dans les bois. (Horror/Indonesian subtitles). Directed by Lionel Delplanque.
A group of young actors goes to a rich man's mansion to perform the story of Little Red Riding Hood for his child. Handsomely photographed.
TIM GBB June 3: 5 p.m.; June 6: 7 p.m.
Taxi 2. (Action/Indonesian subtitles). Directed by Gerard Krawczyk.
The Japanese minister of defense is on a visit to France to test the country's preparedness to fight terrorism when he is kidnapped.
TIM GBB June 3: 7 p.m.; June 4: 5 p.m.; June 6: 2 p.m.; June 10: 2 p.m.
La Tour Montparnasse infernale. (Comedy/Indonesian subtitles). Directed by Charles Nemes.
Two window cleaners are cleaning windows outside the 52nd floor of a skyscraper and get to see what happens inside.
TIM GBB June 8: 2 p.m.; June 9: 7 p.m.
Une affaire de got. (Thriller-Comedy/English subtitles). Directed by Bernard Rapp.
Interesting whodunit about food and murder.
TIM GBB June 8: 7 p.m.; TIM 21 June 8: 2:15 p.m.; 4:55 p.m.; June 9: 2:15 p.m.; Blok M 21 June 9: 8:30 p.m; June 10: 1:45 p.m.; 4 p.m.
La Viriti si je mens!. (Comedy/English subtitles). Directed by Thomas Gilou.
In a little Jewish community specializing in textiles, a businessman learns that he has been shut out of the market by a big company, so he enlists his friends to help him get even.
TIM GBB June 2: 2 p.m.; TIM 21 June 2: 4:55 p.m.; June 3: 2:15 p.m.; June 4: 9:15 p.m.; Blok M 21 June 5: 4 p.m.; June 6: 6:15 p.m.; June 7: 8:30 p.m.
La Veuve de Saint-Pierre. (Drama/English subtitles). Directed by Patrice Leconte.
Two blind-drunk men brutally knife a man to find out if he is "fat or just big". The instigator is then sentenced to death by the guillotine. Since there is no guillotine on the island, he must wait until one arrives.
TIM 21 June 2: 7:05 p.m.; June 3: 4:55 p.m.; June 4: 2:15 p.m.; Blok M 21 June 5: 1:45 p.m.; June 6: 4 p.m.; June 7: 6:15 p.m.; June 8: 6:15 p.m.; June 9: 1:45 p.m.