Students, staff, friends and family are all invited to the Sugden Welcome Center to get a taste of French culture as the second annual Tournées French Film Festival begins at Florida Gulf Coast University.
“We tried to pick movies that were not only entertaining, but also that talked several issues,” said assistant professor in the Department of Language and Literature Delphine Gras. “We chose movies that would be of an interest to a large audience. I think these movies are very important regardless of the language.”
Through out the month of February the FGCU French Club, the Department of Language and Literature partnered with the Department of Communication and Philosophy, as well as The Center for Judaic, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies (The College of Arts and Sciences) will host a weekly screenings of five French films.
Each film was released between 2008 and 2011 and range from 84 to 104 minutes. While each film is in French, they will be played with English subtitles. The festival is free to the public, but seating is limited on a first come, first serve basis.
The first film of the festival is “Potiche”, which translates to “trophy wife.” The film is a tale of one woman’s journey from a domestic housewife to a fearless leader. The showing for this film starts at 6 p.m. on Feb. 7.
Next the festival continues with “Les Hommes Libres” or “free men” and is a story set during World War II in a time of French Resistance as Muslim agents aide North African Jews in a time of turmoil. This film begins at 4 p.m. on Feb. 10.
A married man finds a wallet and becomes infatuated with its female owner in the third film of the festival, “Les Herbes Folles,” or “wild grass.” This romantic comedy begins at 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 13.
The only animated film being shown in the festival is “Les Contes de la Nuit,” or “tales of the night,” by esteemed director Michel Ocelot. This film portrays a collection of stories shot in a 3D shadow-puppet style. Students can catch this imaginative anthology on Feb. 21 at 6 p.m.
The final film of the Tournées French Film Festival is “Les Femmes du 6ème Étage” or “the women of the 6th floor.” This film reveals the story of a self-centered businessman whose family is in shambles. He discovers his altruistic side when he employs a Spanish maid named Maria. This film airs on Feb. 28 at 6 p.m.
Gras is hoping the films will transcend language barriers and appeal to a wide variety of students.
“All the movies are really meant for everybody,” Gras said. They’re all the original versions, but they’re all with subtitles. We did try to have a large variety of genres and topics as well. We chose films that anybody can enjoy even if they don’t have an interest in French.”