LookAtVietnam – French is the language of film buffs this week as the Francophone film fest kicked off in Ha Noi, Hue city, HCM City yesterday.

The French Embassy will present six films: Mascarades (Masquerade), Borderline (Borderland), Seraphine, Peur(s) du Noir (Afraid of the Black), Zone Libre (Free Zone) and Caramel.

Seraphine

(2008), directed by Martin Provost, won six Cesars in 2009, including prizes for the most outstanding film and best actress.

The film, set in 1912, follows the story of a renowned German art dealer who hires a 48-year-old housekeeper called Seraphine to look after him and his house in the French countryside. Their relationship becomes complicated as the German discovers Seraphine’s secret identity as a talented painter.

Mascarades

(2008), directed by Lyes Salem, won the Valois for best film of the Francophone Film Festival in Angouleme. It tells the story of Mounir, a village boy with high aspirations for himself, but an unruly sister. One evening, a drunk Mounir announces to the village that a foreign businessman has asked for his sister’s hand in marriage. His lie changes the course of destiny for his family.

From Canada come three films, including Oscar-nominated L’Age des Tenebres (The Age of Ignorance), Continental, which won best film at the Toronto International Film Festival 2007 and Bon Cop, Bad Cop.

Film buffs will also get the chance to see Greek flick Des Cigrarettes Bon Marche (Cheap Smokes), Le Reste est Silence (The Rest is Silence) from Romania, Home from Switzerland and Formidable from Belgium.

Vietnamese film Rung Den (Black Forest) by Vuong Duc will also be screened.

The films will be shown free of charge in Ha Noi, at l’Espace, French Cultural Centre, at 24 Trang Tien Street, and at the Viet Nam Cinematography Association, 51 Tran Hung Dao Street; and at Hue’s French Cultural Centre and HCM City’s Idecaf (The Institute of Cultural Exchange with France). Information about the event can be found at www.francophonie- atsgeneraux.vn/Evenements or call l’Espace at 043 9362164.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News