It’s complicated: Celebration of France on film has family focus
▶ Maan Jalal selects highlights from return of annual Franco showcase to Dubai, where diversity of definitions and storytelling are put under spotlight
The Franco Film Festival is returning to Cinema Akil. It aims to showcase the diversity of Frenchlanguage films under the theme of family and runs in conjunction with the embassies of France, Switzerland, Canada, Luxembourg, Belgium and Lebanon.
“We are looking forward to presenting the 14th Franco Film Festival with this year’s line-up of films – a reflection on the diverse facets of family life and its complexities,” says Butheina Kazim, founder of the cinema in Alserkal Avenue, Dubai.
“In a diverse city like Dubai, we aim to showcase myriad experiences and definitions of our annual thematics during this robust festival presented and celebrated in their original language.”
The festival begins on Friday and will run until Thursday. The programme includes 10 feature films and five shorts, which mixes classic and contemporary stories across several genres.
Here are five of the best films that will be screening.
Ama Gloria (2023)
Screening on the opening night, director and screenwriter Marie Amachoukeli’s film is the story of a special bond.
The drama is told from the perspective of Cleo, six, during her final summer with her nanny Gloria. When Gloria has to return home to care for her own children in Cape Verde, she invites Cleo to spend the summer with her on the African island. The film is an intimate portrait of their close relationship and the challenges it brings as they both face the reality that this is their last summer together.
Friday, 7pm; Sunday, 9.30pm
Stuntwomen (2022)
Also screening on the opening night, the documentary by Elena Avdija focuses on three stuntwomen – Virginie, Petra and Estelle – and follows their lives as they constantly push themselves for the films they work on.
The documentary examines the demanding profession and its toll on their bodies, mental health, personal lives and the challenges they encounter in a male-dominated industry. Through their personal stories, Stuntwomen also offers commentary on the film and television industry’s portrayal of women on screen.
Friday, 9pm; Wednesday, 7pm
Six Feet Over (2023)
Director and actor Karim Bensalah will bring his dazzling feature to Dubai a couple of months after its regional debut at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia.
The tender film follows the story of Sofiane, the westernised son of an Algerian diplomat, who is studying in France. He explores and reconnects with his roots and cultural heritage after he is forced to work in a Muslim funeral home to secure a work permit. It is taut with the tension that often comes with being a minority in a western country.
The screening will be followed by an in-person Q&A session with the director in which he will focus on the themes and production of the film. Saturday, 7pm
Mr Blake at Your Service! (2023)
Based on the 2012 bestselling French novel Completement Crame!, the comedy-drama directed by Gilles Legardinier stars John Malkovich and Fanny Ardant.
The film centres on Andrew Blake (Malkovich), a recently widowed British businessman who decides to become a butler at a manor house in northern France, close to a place of significance for him and his recently deceased wife.
However, his arrival as a butler changes the dynamics between the eccentric family members living there, setting off a series of events to help them rediscover their purpose and relationships in life. Sunday, 7pm
Dounia and the Princess of Aleppo (2022)
Directors Marya Zarif and Andre Kadi’s animated film blends mythology and real-life issues through a poignant and powerful story.
Dounia is a young Syrian girl who flees Aleppo during the civil war with her grandparents. As they seek refuge, Dounia has in her possession a few nigella seeds given to her by the mythical Princess of Aleppo to keep her connected to her home and heritage.
The film addresses themes such as migration, identity and coexistence in a fun and accessible tone, suitable for families and children above the age of six.
Stuntwomen examines the demanding profession and its toll on their bodies, mental health and personal lives