The French Film Festival returns with more than just baguettes
The 28th French Film Festival, hosted by VCU and the University of Richmond, has been postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19 concerns. CT file photo.
Joshua Buck
Contributing Writer
The French Film Festival, renowned for being the largest French film festival in the United States, returned to Richmond last weekend for its 24th installment and showcased a variety of acclaimed films and exclusive events.
It began with pre-festival screening of the 1971 “Out 1” from “New Wave” director Jacques Rivette, the newly-restored, 12-hour epic was divided into three parts and shown across three consecutive nights at VCU’s Grace Street Theater.
Rivette passed away earlier this year. In his place, Pierre-William Glenn, the cinematographer who worked on the film’s 2015 restoration, was in attendance. Rivette was a part of the French “New Wave,” a 1960s film movement that greatly influenced the Hollywood films of the 1970s while producing such classics as “Breathless,” “Lola” and “Shoot the Piano Player.”
The full length version of “Out 1” has rarely been seen by the public. Shot without a script, the wildly experimental film has typically been shown in a shortened four-hour edit.
The festival’s annual master class sessions featured notable talent from both behind and in front of the camera. Actor and author Anny Romand spoke at the University of Richmond, discussing various film roles as well as what goes into the decision of becoming an actor.
Lizi Gelber offered a lecture on the art of film editing, a craft which often goes overlooked. Gelber drew from her experience in both narrative and documentary editing.
Gelber collaborated with director Yves Jeuland for a documentary chronicling French president Francois Holland for a six month period, that included the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo attacks. The pair presented “Un temps de Président” at a screening on Friday.
Friday also featured a showing of “Far From Men,” the meditative drama from director David Oelhoffen starring “Lord of the Rings” actor Viggo Mortenson.
Saturday showcased a screening that highlighted the unique advantages of hosting the festival at the Byrd Theater. A trio of rare, hand painted films from directors Gaston Breteau and Georges Méliès were screened image by image.
These recently restored short films featured in-house narration by Todd Schall-Vess as well as musical accompaniment from Bob Guledge on the Byrd’s historic Mighty Wurlitzer.
On Saturday evening, the Byrd hosted a free screening of the documentary “Human.” The three hour film was produced entirely by a pair of non-profits and was the first film to ever premiere at the General Assembly hall of the United Nations. Composed almost entirely of aerial footage and close-up interviews, it presents a groundbreaking look at the human condition.
A prevailing theme of this year’s festival was “history.” In addition to the restorations of rare and classic films, there was also a masterclass lecture by Laure Parchomenko of Cinémathèque Française. The organization focuses on film archival and the preservation of film equipment.
