The Rendez-vous with French Cinema 2021 film festival is virtual at filmlinc.org from Thursday, March 4 – 14, 2021. From $12. An all-access pass is $165.
The festival is produced with UniFrance. This year’s 18 films are available virtually across the U.S. and its colonies. Films are in French with English subtitles.
We go to film festivals not only to see great films, but to hear from filmmakers. Film at Lincoln Center has produced a great introductory video with film programmers talking about the festival lineup. What a bright idea!
These are interesting times in both the United States and France. The U.S. is waking up to the horrors of systemic racism. France never appreciates being woken up by the Americans, unless it’s with jazz (which has French roots).
National cinemas provide a window into the emotional state of the societies that produce them. It’s been quite a year and these French films may reflect that.
26th Rendez-vous with French Cinema
The opening night film is “Little Girl” (2020) by Sébastian Lifshitz’ (“Les invisibles”). It’s a documentary about Sasha who has known she is a girl since she was three years old.
Her family and doctors accept her, but school administrators are reluctant. All Sasha wants is a normal childhood, but that’s not easy when others impose their own value systems on a child.
This is a story about acceptance and social change which is something we are all living through now.
The cover image is a still from “Spring Blossom” (2020) by Suzanne Lindon. It’s a coming of age tale about the dream of young love. French tell this kind of story really well.
The image is adorable. It’s an example of bonding and rapport, the mirroring that lovers and salespeople do both consciously and unconsciously.
Tickets
The full lineup, schedules and tickets for Rendez-vous with French Cinema 2021 are at filmlinc.org