Celbr
Courtesy of Cinema St. Louis
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A still from "Alphaville."
Bonjour, mes amis. The time has arrived to blissfully sink into a selection of classic French films. The 10th annual Robert Classic French Film Festival is upon us. It kicks off Friday and runs through Sunday, March 25. It’s co-presented by Cinema St. Louis and the Webster University Film Series.
Cliff Froehlich, executive director of Cinema St. Louis, says that the organization covers a lot of different waterfronts with November’s vaunted St. Louis International Film Festival. French films that are at least 20 years old seemed ripe for an exploration of their own.
“St. Louis has French roots, among others,” says Froehlich. “And we’ve always had a lot of response to our French programming during our festival. We knew there was an interest that perhaps extended beyond the usual interest in films from other countries.”
The French legacy and impact on filmmaking cannot be understated. Even today, the film culture of Paris is above and beyond what most other cities offer.
“We were looking for an opportunity to offer not just what’s going on today but what was going on in the past, what shaped contemporary filmmaking.”
Froehlich says there are three categories that are always represented at the festival: new restorations, movies on 35 mm film, and silent films.
This year’s restoration offering is New Wave classic La belle noiseuse by Jacque Rivette. Froehlich strongly recommends it, though with a runtime of four hours, “it takes a fair amount of fortitude to say, ‘I’m going to do this.’”
Do it, though.
“It’s a brand-new restoration,” he says. “It’s absolutely gorgeous.”
If you’re the kind of cinephile who gasps in delight at the thought of actual physical film looping through a projector, don’t miss Jean Renoir’s Boudu Saved from Drowning or Julien Duvivier’s Pépé le moko.
For the silent film offering, the Rats & People Motion Picture Orchestra brings to life two short features by Germaine Dulac with an original score.
“We’re really pleased to offer selections by Germaine Dulac,” Froehlich says. “We’d love to have more representation of women filmmakers.”
If the idea of spending hours taking in classic and important films in another language strikes you as more of an assignment and less of a leisure activity, think again. Sure, Jean Luc Godard’s work can be a little dense.
“Nobody should be intimidated,” Froehlich says. “Nothing we’re playing is something you’ll need a Ph.D. in film studies to appreciate.” (Sure, Monsieur Godard cranked out a few of those, but they’re not at this festival.)
A great way to get your feet wet is the festival’s opening film, My Journey Through French Cinema, by filmmaker and critic Bertrand Tavernier. The 2016 movie is the only non-classic in the festival. It’s a great introduction to the art form, and a lot of the films he discusses screen later in the festival.
For more information, check out the program online. Screenings are at Webster University’s Winifred Moore Auditorium, 470 E. Lockwood Avenue. Tickets are $13 per screening, $10 for students and Cinema St. Louis members, and free for Webster University students. The double feature with live music is $15.
