Our May Selection of French Films on TV5MONDE Cinema on Demand
This month, TV5MONDE Cinema On Demand is celebrating the French language films showcased at the biggest film festivals around the world, including the Cannes Film Festival, the Venice Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival! Official selections from the 5th edition of Young French Cinema are also still available from last month, including Sofia, a poignant drama about the trials of a young, unwed mother in Morocco and Best Screenplay Winner for Un certain regard at the 2018. (Check out some more info for that in last month's article!)
Une histoire de fou (2015)
In French with English subtitles. Available beginning May 10
Special Screening | Cannes Film Festival 2015
Robert Guédiguian explores his ancestral past along with a complicated look at Armenia's genocide with a sense of patriatism, but a keen and questionable eye begging the question: What is justice and what is undeserved violence?
Aram, seeking justice for the Armenian people, assassinates the Turkish ambassador in Paris, seriously injuring a bystander, Gilles. Now paralyzed, Gilles seeks to understand what lead to the senseless attack.
“The evidently noble intentions of the film, along with earnest and consistent performances, make for a heartfelt, impactful tale." - The Upcoming
Director: Robert Guédiguian
Cast: Simon Abkarian, Ariane Ascaride, Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet
Genre: Drama
À moi seule (2012)
In French with English subtitles. Available beginning May 24
Golden Bear Nominee | Berlin International Film Festival 2012
À moi seule offers not just a simple linear tale of good versus evil, but a complex psychological in depth look at trauma and recovery.
Gaëlle was 8 years old when she was abducted by Vincent Maillard and imprisoned in his basement. When Vincent unexpectedly lets her go several years later, Gaëlle struggles to readjust to her previous life.
"The great strength of [Videau's] film is that he has managed to oppose the haze of an insurmountable situation with the poignant sharpness of his vital resolution" - Cineuropa
Director: Frédéric Videau
Cast: Agathe Bonitzer, Reda Kateb, Hélène Fillières
Genre: Drama
Angèle et Tony (2011)
In French with English subtitles. Available beginning May 3
Venice International Film Critics' Week | Venice Film Festival 2010
Clotilde Hesme does not disappoint as Angèle, a very different kind of leading lady. An anguished and twitchy ex-con, she opens herself up to salt of the earth fisherman Tony (Grégory Gabedois). Together, they discover a real and gritty kind of love, set on the beautiful coast of Normandy.
Angèle, a beautiful woman with a mysterious past, arrives at a fishing port in Normandy looking for work. Tony, a fisherman, hires her against his better judgment and now he must fight his growing attraction for her.
“This is a sprightly and economical debut from French former journalist and writer-director Alix Delaporte." - Time Out
Director: Alix Delaporte
Cast: Clotilde Hesme, Grégory Gadevois, Évelyne Didi
Genre: Drama
Vénus noire (2010)
In French with English subtitles. Available beginning May 17
Golden Lion Nominee | Venice Film Festival 2010
An astonishing true story, revealing truth behind the horrid history of the circus, and the hypocrisy of the "enlightened" community of the early 19th century. Yahima Torres gives an emotional performance, embodying a quiet strength.
Based on a true story, Saartjie Baartman left her native South Africa with her master, Caezar, hoping to find freedom in Europe. Instead, she finds herself once again enslaved and dehumanized as a freak show attraction in London.
"Voyeuristic and powerful" - Film-Forward.com
Director: Abdellatif Kechiche
Cast: Yahima Torres, André Jacobs, Olivier Gourmet
Genre: Drama
Rien de personnel (2009)
In French with English subtitles. Available beginning May 17
International Critics' Week | Cannes Film Festival 2009
Today's viewers will be nodding their heads at an all too familiar story of the economic crisis that has defined a generation. Rien de personelle goes a step further and offers a delightfully witty screenplay and with an impeccable cast.
Employees at a large pharmaceutical company are asked to join in a role-playing game during the annual gala, only to realize that the game is actually a giant training simulation and a merger may be imminent.
"A timely commentary that serves as a reminder that the limits of workplace paranoia, within the current economic climate, extends well outside of the cubical. "- Ioncinema
Director: Mathias Gokalp
Cast: Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Denis Podalydès, Mélanie Doutey
Genre: Drama