April in Paris

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300 SUMMIT STREET | HARTFORD CT 06106 | 860-297-2463

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ORIGINS April in Paris is the "brainchild" of Professors Sonia Lee and Karen Humphreys of Trinity College's Department of Language and Culture Studies. It would never have seen the light of the silver screen, however, if not for the hard work of Christine McMorris and the dynamism of Cinestudio's directors, Peter McMorris and James Hanley. A formidable team! The intention of the festival is to offer to the Hartford area an annual cultural event that celebrates and explores the cinema of filmmakers working in the French language, whether they are from France, Canada, Africa or the Caribbean. April in Paris takes place at Cinestudio on the Trinity College campus and coincides with a course based on the films featured in the festival.

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APRIL IN PARIS FESTIVAL COMMITTEE

COURSE COLL151: French Film Festival This half-credit College Course (COLL 151) is offered each spring in conjunction with the annual French Film Festival. Each year the week-long festival, April in Paris, focuses on a theme, genre, or the work of a French or Francophone director. The course provides an excellent opportunity for students interested in film studies to enrich and broaden their cinematic knowledge. A variety of classic and recent titles offers a broad range of films that inspires both an awareness of film history and interest in cinema studies. By focusing on a particular topic, genre, or director, students can sharpen their understanding of cinema as a visual language and as an artform and that varies according to the distinctive genius and creative vision of the filmmaker.

films & schedule

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7:30 PM LES DIABOLIQUES (DIABOLIQUE)

THURSDAY, APRIL 7

7:00 PM CLOSING RECEPTION

2:00 PM LE MYSTÈRE DE LA TOUR EIFFEL

7:30 PM SLALOM

SUNDAY, APRIL 3

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6

TICKETS

2:30 PM LA SOCIÉTÉ DU SPECTACLE (THE SOCIETY OF THE SPECTACLE)

7:30 PM LA NUIT DES ROIS (NIGHT OF THE KINGS)

7:30 PM UN FILM DRAMATIQUE (A DRAMATIC FILM)

8:00 PM ANTIGONEFOLLOWED BY A Q&A WITH ACTRESS NAHÉMA RICCI

7:30 PM CONTE D'ÉTÉ (A TALE OF SUMMER)

TUESDAY, APRIL 5

OPENING RECEPTION (FOLLOWING SCREENING)

MONDAY, APRIL 4

SATURDAY, APRIL 8

7:30 PM PETITE FILLE (LITTLE GIRL)

FRIDAY, APRIL 8

CLICK ON TITLE FOR FILM DESCRIPTIONS

The Phi Beta Kappa Society

Café Louise, West Hartford, CT

SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS

The Office of the President, Trinity College

Trinity College: The Office of the Dean, The Office of the President

L'Alliance Française de Hartford

Sandrine Neveux, Program Officer- Albertine Cinémathèque in partnership with the FACE Foundation and the Cultural Services of the French Embassy Alma de Montplaisir, Agence RBL, Montréal

The Department of History, the Department of English, the Program in Film Studies, and the Program in International Studies at Trinity College

The FACE Foundation

Jerry and Nancy Lemega

Albertine Cinémathèque

SPECIAL THANKS:

LE MYSTÈRE DE LA TOUR EIFFEL (THE MYSTERY OF THE EIFFEL TOWER) JULIEN DUVIVIER | FRANCE | 1928 | 129 MIN. Getting the chance to see a silent French film from 1928 in a cinema is as rare as a rainbow in snow, especially accompanied by pianist Patrick Miller of The Hartt School. His music transports the audience to a different place and time. German surrealistic horror films of the 1920s strongly influenced director Julien Duvivier (Pépé le Moko, Un Carnet de Bal). Le Mystère features a circus worker cheated out of his inheritance by his doppelganger. But the thief is plagued by an ominous black hooded sect, culminating with a nail-biting pursuit on the Eiffel Tower—a mere 40 years old in an ancient city. “All stories are more or less fairytales, and removing speech makes everything more universal.” —Filmmaker Guy Maddin

BACK

TRAILER

LES DIABOLIQUES (DIABOLIQUE)HENRI-GEORGES CLOUZOT | FRANCE | 1955 | 117 MIN. Now recognized as one of the greatest directors of the 1950s, Henri-Georges Clouzot (The Raven, Quai des Orfevres, The Wages of Fear) was vilified for telling stories about an unpredictable world where anyone can murder under the right circumstances. Based on the novel by Pierre Boileau and inspired by the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, the film looks at the murky loyalties at a decrepit boarding school owned by a frail Venezuelan woman named Christina (Vera Clouzot). Her husband is the Headmaster, who not only bullies Christina and the students but is having an affair with a teacher (played by the legendary Simone Signoret.) The two women come together to plan his murder, but even the best plans go wrong. “This icily brilliant suspense thriller…is satisfying, elegant and nasty.” —Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

UN FILM DRAMATIQUE (A DRAMATIC FILM)ERIC BAUDELAIRE | FRANCE | 2019 | 114 MIN. Un film dramatique is a lively documentary that tells the stories of the first class to attend the newly constructed Dora Maar middle school in a notorious banlieue outside Paris. Filmed over four years, 21 diverse middle schoolers are given cameras to record their daily lives at school and home. With a refreshingly uninhibited approach, Éric Baudelaire offers a new perspective on Islamophobia, assimilation, and economic inequality that manages to be insightful and playful. As the students debate elections and the immigration crisis, they also seek to find an answer to the central question: who are we, and how do we come together to create the future? “It’s seeing the world through the eyes of these children that makes this movie so deeply joyful.” —Teo Bugbee, New York Times

300 SUMMIT STREET | HARTFORD CT 06106 | 860-267-2463

SLALOMCHARLÈNE FAVIER | FRANCE, BELGIUM | 2020 | 92 MIN. This riveting Cannes-selected drama follows the ethics of a relationship between a teenage ski prodigy and her predatory instructor, played by Jérémie Renier (L’Enfant). Noée Abita is 15-year-old Lyz, who’s been accepted to an elite ski club in the French Alps, known for producing some of the country’s top athletes. Seeing something in his recruit, ex-champion turned coach Fred decides to mold Lyz into his shining star. But under his influence, she must endure more than the physical pressure of the training. This story on screen, little heard in France until recently, asks if Lyz – and other young athletes - can gather the strength to escape their mentor’s exploitation? “First-time filmmaker Charlène Favier’s powerful account of sexual abuse in professional skiing.” —Nikki Baughan, Empire Magazine

PETITE FILLE (LITTLE GIRL)ERIC BAUDELAIRE | FRANCE | 2019 | 114 MIN. Stories of hatred and discrimination for children who feel they were born the wrong gender are being replaced with new narratives of acceptance and understanding. Petite fille is the moving portrait of Sasha, a delightful 7-year-old who has always known that she is a girl. Sasha’s family has recently embraced their daughter’s reality while seeking to find affirmation in a rural community in northeastern France. Sébastien Lifshitz’s documentary realizes rare delicacy and intimacy as it explores Sasha’s emotional challenges, unexpected triumphs, and small moments. “Enchanting…film-making with a light touch and real depth.” —Ben Dowell, London Times

LA NUIT DES ROIS (NIGHT OF THE KINGS)PHILIPPE LACÔTE | FRANCE, CÔTE D’IVOIRE, CANADA, SENEGAL | 2020 | 93 MIN. A young gang member (Koné Bakary) is sentenced to time in MACA, an isolated prison in the Ivorian forest that its inmates rule. Renamed Roman, he arrives with the rising of the red moon, just as inmates are calling for the traditional suicide of an ailing King to be replaced by a new leader. Stalling for time, King Blackbeard picks Roman as his griot (storyteller). Threaten by death if his story doesn’t go on until dawn, Roman retells the life of legendary outlaw “Zama King,” spinning out more fantastical details in hopes of survival. “Lacôte has arrived at a hopeful glimpse of the future. Like all good storytellers, he leaves you wanting more.” —Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times

APRIL IN PARIS FESTIVAL COMMITTEE Prof. Karen Humphreys Prof. Jean-Marc Kehres Prof. Sara Kippur Prof. Emerita Sonia Lee James Hanley, Cinestudio Peter McMorris, Cinestudio Christine McCarthy McMorris FESTIVAL DESIGNER James Hanley & Erik Bowen

2015: Provocation

2003: Comedie à la Francaise

2007: La jeunesse : Coming of Age in French Cinema

2013: LaVille Au Cinéma: Tales of Cities

2001: Images de Femmes

2009: La camera au feminin: Women Behind the Lens

2004: Grande Illusion

2000: Francois Truffaut - The Man Who Loved Movies

2016: Portrait de L'Artiste

2011: L'Amour Fou: Mad Love

2018: Liens et Chaîns: Ties that Bind

2006: Le cinema de Louis Malle

2014: Fantasy Fantaisie

2002: Crime et Cinema

2008: Vivre ensemble: Living Together in French Cinema

2012: Le Sacré et le Profane

2017: Au Delà Des Frontières

2010: La Regle du Jeu: Money and Class in French Cinema

2019: Vive le Cinema!

2005: Rendez-vous à Paris

films & schedule

sponsors

directions

about

home

7:30 PM PETITE FILLE (LITTLE GIRL)

7:00 PM CLOSING RECEPTION

2:00 PM LE MYSTÈRE DE LA TOUR EIFFEL

THURSDAY, APRIL 7

7:30 PM UN FILM DRAMATIQUE (A DRAMATIC FILM)

2:30 PM LA SOCIÉTÉ DU SPECTACLE (THE SOCIETY OF THE SPECTACLE)

SATURDAY, APRIL 9

7:30 PM LA NUIT DES ROIS (NIGHT OF THE KINGS)

FRIDAY, APRIL 8

7:30 PM LES DIABOLIQUES (DIABOLIQUE)

TUESDAY, APRIL 5

SUNDAY, APRIL 3

7:30 PM SLALOM

MONDAY, APRIL 4

8:00 PM ANTIGONEFOLLOWED BY A Q&A WITH ACTRESS NAHÉMA RICCI

7:30 PM CONTE D'ÉTÉ (A TALE OF SUMMER)

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6

OPENING RECEPTION (FOLLOWING SCREENING)

LE MYSTÈRE DE LA TOUR EIFFEL (THE MYSTERY OF THE EIFFEL TOWER)

trailer

JULIEN DUVIVIER | FRANCE | 1928 | 129 MIN. Getting the chance to see a silent French film from 1928 in a cinema is as rare as a rainbow in snow, especially accompanied by pianist Patrick Miller of the Hartt School of Music. His music transports the audience to a different place and time. German surrealistic horror films of the 1920s strongly influenced director Julien Duvivier (Pépé le Moko, Un Carnet de Bal). Le Mystère features a circus worker cheated out of his inheritance by his doppelganger. But the thief is plagued by an ominous black hooded sect, culminating with a nail-biting pursuit on the Eiffel Tower—a mere 40 years old in an ancient city. “All stories are more or less fairytales, and removing speech makes everything more universal.” —Filmmaker Guy Maddin

back

LES DIABOLIQUES (DIABOLIQUE)

HENRI-GEORGES CLOUZOT | FRANCE | 1955 | 117 MIN. Now recognized as one of the greatest directors of the 1950s, Henri-Georges Clouzot (The Raven, Quai des Orfevres, The Wages of Fear) was vilified for telling stories about an unpredictable world where anyone can murder under the right circumstances. Based on the novel by Pierre Boileau and inspired by the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, the film looks at the murky loyalties at a decrepit boarding school owned by a frail Venezuelan woman named Christina (Vera Clouzot). Her husband is the Headmaster, who not only bullies Christina and the students but is having an affair with a teacher (played by the legendary Simone Signoret.) The two women come together to plan his murder, but even the best plans go wrong. “This icily brilliant suspense thriller…is satisfying, elegant and nasty.” —Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

ERIC BAUDELAIRE | FRANCE | 2019 | 114 MIN. Un film dramatique is a lively documentary that tells the stories of the first class to attend the newly constructed Dora Maar middle school in a notorious banlieue outside Paris. Filmed over four years, 21 diverse middle schoolers are given cameras to record their daily lives at school and home. With a refreshingly uninhibited approach, Éric Baudelaire offers a new perspective on Islamophobia, assimilation, and economic inequality that manages to be insightful and playful. As the students debate elections and the immigration crisis, they also seek to find an answer to the central question: who are we, and how do we come together to create the future? “It’s seeing the world through the eyes of these children that makes this movie so deeply joyful.” —Teo Bugbee, New York Times

UN FILM DRAMATIQUE (A DRAMATIC FILM)

Albertine Cinémathèque

The Department of History, the Department of English, the Program in Film Studies, and the Program in International Studies at Trinity College

The Phi Beta Kappa Society

Jerry and Nancy Lemega

Sandrine Neveux, Program Officer- Albertine Cinémathèque in partnership with the FACE Foundation and the Cultural Services of the French Embassy Alma de Montplaisir, Agence RBL, Montréal

L'Alliance Française de Hartford

SPECIAL THANKS:

Trinity College: The Office of the Dean and the Office of the President

SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS

CHARLÈNE FAVIER | FRANCE, BELGIUM | 2020 | 92 MIN. This riveting Cannes-selected drama follows the ethics of a relationship between a teenage ski prodigy and her predatory instructor, played by Jérémie Renier (L’Enfant). Noée Abita is 15-year-old Lyz, who’s been accepted to an elite ski club in the French Alps, known for producing some of the country’s top athletes. Seeing something in his recruit, ex-champion turned coach Fred decides to mold Lyz into his shining star. But under his influence, she must endure more than the physical pressure of the training. This story on screen, little heard in France until recently, asks if Lyz – and other young athletes - can gather the strength to escape their mentor’s exploitation? “First-time filmmaker Charlène Favier’s powerful account of sexual abuse in professional skiing.” —Nikki Baughan, Empire Magazine

SLALOM

PETITE FILLE (LITTLE GIRL)

ERIC BAUDELAIRE | FRANCE | 2019 | 114 MIN. Stories of hatred and discrimination for children who feel they were born the wrong gender are being replaced with new narratives of acceptance and understanding. Petite fille is the moving portrait of Sasha, a delightful 7-year-old who has always known that she is a girl. Sasha’s family has recently embraced their daughter’s reality while seeking to find affirmation in a rural community in northeastern France. Sébastien Lifshitz’s documentary realizes rare delicacy and intimacy as it explores Sasha’s emotional challenges, unexpected triumphs, and small moments. “Enchanting…film-making with a light touch and real depth.” —Ben Dowell, London Times

PHILIPPE LACÔTE | FRANCE, CÔTE D’IVOIRE, CANADA, SENEGAL | 2020 | 93 MIN. A young gang member (Koné Bakary) is sentenced to time in MACA, an isolated prison in the Ivorian forest that its inmates rule. Renamed Roman, he arrives with the rising of the red moon, just as inmates are calling for the traditional suicide of an ailing King to be replaced by a new leader. Stalling for time, King Blackbeard picks Roman as his griot (storyteller). Threaten by death if his story doesn’t go on until dawn, Roman retells the life of legendary outlaw “Zama King,” spinning out more fantastical details in hopes of survival. “Lacôte has arrived at a hopeful glimpse of the future. Like all good storytellers, he leaves you wanting more.” —Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times

LA NUIT DES ROIS (NIGHT OF THE KINGS)

2019: Vive le Cinema!

CONTE D'ÉTÉ (A TALE OF SUMMER)

ERIC ROHMER | FRANCE | 1995 | 113 MIN. According to New Wave auteur Eric Rohmer, the third film of his Tales of the Four Seasons is his “most personal.” Based on events from Rohmer’s youth, A Tale of Summer follows amateur musician Gaspard (Melvil Poupaud) to a seaside resort in Dinard on the coast of Brittany. It is there where three women (Amanda Langlet, Gwenaëlle Simon, and Aurelia Nolin) each offer the possibility of romance. But Gaspard’s inability to commit to just one puts all his chances at love in jeopardy. Summer is the perfect venue for Rohmer’s wistful look back at his youth. The stories it tells illuminate the fleeting nature of desire and the random nature of our choices, lit up by the languid waves and sun-saturated beaches of summer. “A beautiful and bittersweet romantic comedy” —Tom Dawson, BBC.com

CONTE D'ÉTÉ (A TALE OF SUMMER)ERIC ROHMER | FRANCE | 1995 | 113 MIN. According to New Wave auteur Eric Rohmer, the third film of his Tales of the Four Seasons is his “most personal.” Based on events from Rohmer’s youth, A Tale of Summer follows amateur musician Gaspard (Melvil Poupaud) to a seaside resort in Dinard on the coast of Brittany. It is there where three women (Amanda Langlet, Gwenaëlle Simon, and Aurelia Nolin) each offer the possibility of romance. But Gaspard’s inability to commit to just one puts all his chances at love in jeopardy. Summer is the perfect venue for Rohmer’s wistful look back at his youth. The stories it tells illuminate the fleeting nature of desire and the random nature of our choices, lit up by the languid waves and sun-saturated beaches of summer. “A beautiful and bittersweet romantic comedy” —Tom Dawson, BBC.com

LA SOCIÉTÉ DU SPECTACLE (THE SOCIETY OF THE SPECTACLE)

GUY DEBORD | FRANCE | 1974 | 90 MIN. It’s no surprise that after the voices for change in the 1960s that French films would find new techniques to tell us new stories. Writer and filmmaker Guy Debord released this invigoratingly experimental movie six years after the publication of his book, The Society of the Spectacle. Debord used the technique of ‘détournement’ hijacking images of the capitalist system to use against itself. Far from a dull political rant, the film is a dizzying array of images of Hollywood movies, advertising, war, and protests crushed by the police. The result is organized chaos that provides a devastating look at a world that remains dominated by image and power. “It isn’t put together to go down easily, but it rarely ceases to be stimulating…a priceless document.” —Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

LA SOCIÉTÉ DU SPECTACLE (THE SOCIETY OF THE SPECTACLE)GUY DEBORD | FRANCE | 1974 | 90 MIN. It’s no surprise that after the voices for change in the 1960s that French films would find new techniques to tell us new stories. Writer and filmmaker Guy Debord released this invigoratingly experimental movie six years after the publication of his book, The Society of the Spectacle. Debord used the technique of ‘détournement’ hijacking images of the capitalist system to use against itself. Far from a dull political rant, the film is a dizzying array of images of Hollywood movies, advertising, war, and protests crushed by the police. The result is organized chaos that provides a devastating look at a world that remains dominated by image and power. “It isn’t put together to go down easily, but it rarely ceases to be stimulating…a priceless document.” —Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

SOPHIE DERASPE | CANADA | 2019 | 109 MIN. Followed by a Q&A with actress Nahéma Ricci IIt’s exciting to screen a fantastic, award-winning film to close this year’s April in Paris Festival. Set in an immigrant community in Montréal, it is based on the timeless play by Sophocles, updated to a modern story that is all too relevant: the real-life shooting of an immigrant teenager by the police. Ricci stars as the boy’s loyal sister, who challenges every authority she encounters, willing to sacrifice everything for justice and love. Best Canadian Film, Toronto Film Festival. A unique and contemporary cinematic experience that resonates deeply.” —Justine Smith, Toronto Globe and Mail

ANTIGONE

ANTIGONESOPHIE DERASPE | CANADA | 2019 | 109 MIN. Followed by a Q&A with actress Nahéma Ricci IIt’s exciting to screen a fantastic, award-winning film to close this year’s April in Paris Festival. Set in an immigrant community in Montréal, it is based on the timeless play by Sophocles, updated to a modern story that is all too relevant: the real-life shooting of an immigrant teenager by the police. Ricci stars as the boy’s loyal sister, who challenges every authority she encounters, willing to sacrifice everything for justice and love. Best Canadian Film, Toronto Film Festival. A unique and contemporary cinematic experience that resonates deeply.” —Justine Smith, Toronto Globe and Mail

BIO

In 2015, Nahéma Ricci obtained her first role in the feature film AILLEURS by Samuel Matteau. In 2017, she is involved in the creative process of the performance CET INTERVALLE by Morena Prats, which will be presented again at Théâtre La Chapelle in 2021. Nahéma played the title role in the feature film ANTIGONE by Sophie Deraspe,awarded in multiple international film festivals. The film won the Best Canadian Feature Film prize at TIFF 2019 and was selected to represent Canada in the 2020 Oscars race. Nahéma was named one of the TIFF “Rising Stars” and received several accolades for her performance in 2020, notably the Prix Iris for Revelation of the year and the Canadian Screen Award for Best performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. Nahéma completed the 2018-2019 program of Danceworks school in Berlin (Germany). Furthermore, she is the author, director and interpret of the play IDENTIKIT, presented at the 2019 Fringe Festival. Nahéma starred in many short films by emerging filmmakers as well as the feature film BEFORE EL FINÂ (to be released in 2021) by Nathan Buck. Nahéma is also a part of the cast of BÊTE NOIRE, a new series directed by Sophie Deraspe.

NAHÉMA RICCI BIOGRAPHY

NAHÉMA RICCI BIOGRAPHY In 2015, Nahéma Ricci obtained her first role in the feature film AILLEURS by Samuel Matteau. In 2017, she is involved in the creative process of the performance CET INTERVALLE by Morena Prats, which will be presented again at Théâtre La Chapelle in 2021. Nahéma played the title role in the feature film ANTIGONE by Sophie Deraspe,awarded in multiple international film festivals. The film won the Best Canadian Feature Film prize at TIFF 2019 and was selected to represent Canada in the 2020 Oscars race. Nahéma was named one of the TIFF “Rising Stars” and received several accolades for her performance in 2020, notably the Prix Iris for Revelation of the year and the Canadian Screen Award for Best performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. Nahéma completed the 2018-2019 program of Danceworks school in Berlin (Germany). Furthermore, she is the author, director and interpret of the play IDENTIKIT, presented at the 2019 Fringe Festival. Nahéma starred in many short films by emerging filmmakers as well as the feature film BEFORE EL FINÂ (to be released in 2021) by Nathan Buck. Nahéma is also a part of the cast of BÊTE NOIRE, a new series directed by Sophie Deraspe.