For the thirteenth year, we work in collaboration with the Consulates of France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, the Quebec Government Office in Los Angeles, and Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles to present A Week of French Language Cinema, with nightly screenings of critically acclaimed French language films, from Friday, March 18 through Wednesday, March 23, 2022.
Theatre Raymond Kabbaz is back in full swing, delighting returning audiences with that big screen cinematic experience. This year’s festival draws on a wealth of global filmmakers with stories that are at once timeless and that also poignantly reflect the times we are living in today.
The weeklong collection of feature films creates ample space for cultural exchange, and kicks off on March 18th with two of France’s dearly departed cultural icons Gaspard Ulliel playing Yves Saint Laurent (Saint Laurent). The second night could not have been better timed with the Swiss Oscar entry Olga, about a Ukrainian gymnast distracted by the events happening in her home country. Canada takes the third night with an award-winning documentary about an Innu woman striving to keep her language and culture alive (Call Me Human). A Rwandan film follows om March 21st with The Mercy of the Jungle, where nature takes center stage as an indifferent witness to war. 14 days, 12 nights is Québec’s entry, and starring Anne Dorval, recounts the extraordinary friendship that develops between a Canadian woman and Vietnamese woman over the love of one child. The last night is Belgium’s film which premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard (2021), and is the country’s entry to the 2022 Oscars: Playground. The film is about school-aged children and the effects of bullying, and more broadly is a commentary on how we come to relate to one another.
The Week of French Language Cinema is organized annually to coincide with the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF)’s celebration of the French language and Francophone culture on March 20th.
Tickets for each screening are only $5, or $25 for the whole week (6 movies).
Tickets include a free cheese & charcuterie reception and access to an exhibition of paintings and works on paper by Renée Caouette, a local artist of French descent.
Thank you to our sponsors
