DOHA: Doha Film Institute (DFI), with support of the French embassy and Institut Français du Qatar, will celebrate Francophone Week in Qatar with a special, free showcase of French cinema at Katara Drama Theatre from tomorrow until March 27.
Joining worldwide celebration of International Month of the Francophonie, the film series will showcase a mix of contemporary comedy and drama from Francophone member countries, including Belgium, Canada, Chad and France.
The series opens with Mathieu Denis’ Canadian crime drama Corbo. Set in 1960s Montreal, a teenager evolves from pro-independence activist to radical freedom fighter, in a gripping chronicle of the origins of Front de libération du Québec. Denis will be present for a question-and-answer session.
Mahamat-Saleh Haroun’s Grigris from Chad will be shown on Tuesday. It is the story of 25-year-old Grigris whose dreams of being a dancer are dashed when his father-in-law falls critically ill.
Serial (Bad) Weddings will be screened on Thursday at 6.30pm.
A huge commercial hit in France, it is a comedic tale of a conservative but politically correct French couple whose life is turned upside down when their four daughters marry men of different religions and origins.
Three films will be screened throughout the afternoon and evening of Friday, beginning with a 3.30pm screening of a spectacular animated musical fairy-tale Jack and the Cuckoo Clock Heart.
It is the story of a boy born on the coldest day in history who lives with a clockwork heart that he must never touch, or use for anger or love.
Writer, composer and co-director Mathias Malzieu will be present for a question-and-answer session following the screening.
Two Days One Night, the latest film by renowned Belgian filmmaking duo, the Dardenne brothers, will be shown at 6:30pm. It features the Academy Award-nominated performance by Marion Cotillard who plays a troubled factory worker struggling to keep her job.
The final film in the series is Samba, a comedy/drama from the same team behind the 2012 box office smash hit The Intouchables. Omar Sy plays a Senegalese migrant who works as a hotel dishwasher.
French Ambassador Eric Chevallier will attend the official opening of the showcase, along with dignitaries from other Francophone member countries as part of celebrations.
Online tickets are available at www.dohafilminstitute.com and in-person tickets are available from today at Katara Drama Theatre Ticket Outlet (Katara Building No. 16) from 2pm to 8pm.
Arabic and English subtitles will be available during all screenings. the peninsula
