Tournees French Film Festival

By Malachi Cowells

Do you find the latest “chic flick” or repetitious action movie at the movie theater a bit tiring? Luckily, there is an event on campus that will cure what ails you. For the second year in a row Marian College is hosting the Tournées French Film Festival, thanks to the hard work of the French and History departments on campus and the support of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy and the French Ministry of Culture. The five films are being shown on four days later in March. All of the films will be shown at the Mother Theresa Hackelmeier Memorial Library Auditorium on campus.

On Tuesday, March 24 at 7pm “L’Origine de la Tendresse et Autres Contes” is being shown. This film features six short films by different French directors that depict seemingly simple stories but that have deep meaning imbedded in them.

On Friday, March 27 “L’Avocat de la Terreur” (Terror’s Advocate) is being shown at 7pm. This film tells the story of controversial figure Jacques Vergès who, as a lawyer, defended, and later married a woman freedom fighter who planted bombs in cafes, disappeared mysteriously for eight years and after his sudden reappearance defended many terrorists and even infamous Nazi lieutenant Klaus Barbie.

On Saturday, March 28 two films are being shown. The first is “Frantz Fanon: Sa Vie, Son Combat, Son Travail” (Frantz Fanon: His Life, His Struggle, His Work) at 2pm. This film tells the story of Frantz Fanon, one of the greatest thinkers of the 20th Century. After experiencing racism in the French Army Fanon went on to be very influential in radical politics in Algeria and decolonization. The second film being shown is “Reves de Poussiere” (Dreams of Dust) at 7pm. This film tells the story of a Nigerian peasant who works in a gold mine in Burkina Faso and discovers many things about the community while struggling for his survival and that of his family.

On Sunday, March 29 the last film, “Daratt,” is being shown at 2pm. This film is set in Chad and tells the story of a boy searching for the man that killed his parents to kill him and what happens after he apprentices himself to the murderer who is no longer a criminal in order to become closer to him to kill him.

This film festival is a great opportunity for our community as a whole, but particularly for those of us that attend Marian College. This is the only place in Indianapolis that shows new French Films and it would be unfortunate to miss the opportunity to see these great films. Registration is required and can be done at the following address: http://www.marian.edu/filmfestival/Pages/Registration.aspx. The event is free of charge so be sure to invite your friends and family and enjoy this rare cinematic pleasure.