Viva la France, film festival opens

The festival, part of the France-South Africa Seasons 2012 and 2013 (www.france-southafrica.com), also presents a retrospective of films by Claire Denis, whose work is strongly linked with Africa, and a film by prominent South African director, Ramadan Suleman.

Following the success of the first edition of the French Film Festival in South Africa, this edition again relies on the strength of the initial concept, which consists of showing contemporary French cinema using a compact format to reach as numerous a South African public as possible.

Movies start at the time indicated on the flyers and brochures, with no previews or trailers.

City schedule

• 1-5 August: Cape Town - V & A Nouveau
  
• 8-12 August: Johannesburg - Opening at the Alexander Theatre & Rosebank Nouveau
  
• 9-12 August: Pretoria - Brooklyn Nouveau
  
• 15-18 August: Port Elizabeth - Ster-Kinekor The Bridge
  
• 23-26 August: Durban - Ster-Kinekor Musgrave

Programme

• Opening film: Farewell my queen by Benoit Jacquot (in the presence of the film maker in Johannesburg and Pretoria)
  
• Americano by Mathieu Demy
  
• Angel & Tony by Alix Delaporte (Cesar Awards - French film industry awards - 2012)
  
• Beloved (Les bien-aimés) by Christophe Honoré
  
• Chicken with plums (Poulet aux Prunes) by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud (Best Narrative Film Award Abu Dhabi International Film Festival)
  
• Declaration of war (La guerre est déclarée) by Valérie Donzelli (SIGNIS Award - Special Mention Hong Kong International Film Festival 2012)
  
• Love lasts three years (L'amour dure trois ans) by Frédéric Beigbeder
  Retrospective on Claire Denis
  
• 35 shots of rum (35 Rhums)
  
• Beau Travail
  
• The Intruder (L'intrus)
  Focus on Ramadan Suleman - Zulu Love Letter (Lettre d'Amour Zoulou)

For more, go to www.fff.org.za.