Written by Chris Swan
February 8, 2024
Must-See Films at the French Film Festival 2024
Bonjour cine-philes! It’s time once again to revel in the fun, thrills and romance of French cinema with this year’s upcoming Alliance Française Film Festival.
Below are our top highlights for this year’s festival lineup, which will be screening around Australia 5 March to 21 April.
Tickets are on sale now: www.affrenchfilmfestival.org
THE PRESIDENT'S WIFE
Legendary French actress Catherine Deneuve (8 Women, The Midwife) delivers a powerhouse performance as a fictionalised version of former French first lady Bernadette Chirac, as she navigates stepping out of the shadow of her husband, one of France’s most popular presidents, to become an iconic figure in her own right.
1995, Jacques Chirac becomes president of France. His wife Bernadette is not treated with the same respect despite her lifelong work in the shadows of her husband. Mocked as too corny, she’s cast aside. Then one morning after a life changing realisation Bernadette decides to break with conventions and protocol. A move that earns her fans and national appreciation.
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PARTY OF FOOLS
Direct from the Deauville Film Festival, PARTY OF FOOLS is a story of female solidarity, based on historical events and characters, and featuring a breathtaking lead performance from Mélanie Thierry (See You Up There).
Paris, 1894. Every year, on the occasion of the Carnival, a big and popular Ball is held in the mental institution La Pitié Salpétrière. Politicians, artists and social figures flock to the doors of this women-only institution, eager to attend the famous “Party of Fools”.
Inside, 150 “madwomen”, selected among the 4,500 patients are dressed in extravagant costumes, and wait with great apprehension. Among them, Fanni, 35 years old. Unlike the other women who are interned unjustly against their will, she is here voluntarily. Her only goal: to find her mother and escape together.
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