Tag Archives: COLCOA French Film Festival

COLCOA 2019 — LES FILLES

OH LES FILLES / Haut les filles—a new decade-spanning documentary—brings together ten of the “top girls” of French music culture who embody the defiant, persistent spirit of Édith Piaf, street waif of Belleville and punk rocker avant la lettre.

Director François Armanet—a veteran reporter for Libération and Le Nouvel observateur, and current editor-in-chief of the weekly newsweekly L’Obs—has interviewed a select group to share the perils and rewards of being a women in what is often an overtly sexist industry.

OH LES FILLES—starring Jeanne Added, Jehnny Beth, Lou Doillon, Brigitte Fontaine, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Françoise Hardy, Imany, Camélia Jordana, Elli Medeiros, and Vanessa Paradis—will screen this week at COLCOA 2019 in its North American premiere.

OH LES FILLES

Thursday, September 26, at 10:20 pm.

Directors Guild of America

7920 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles.

From top: Françoise Hardy; Lou Doillon (left) and Charlotte Gainsbourg; Imany, photograph courtesy and © Claire Vinson; Brigitte Fontaine; Camélia Jordana; Jeanne Added, La Fête de l’Humanité, Parc départemental Georges-Valbon, September 15, 2018, photograph courtesy and © Alain Leroy; Jehnney Beth; Vanessa Paradis; Elli Medeiros. Images courtesy and © the artists, photographers, and publishers.

COLCOA 2019 — VINCENT LACOSTE

Vincent Lacoste—the often self-effacing, always drôle “everyman” who recently made a favorable impression on American moviegoers with his turn in Christophe Honoré’s Sorry Angel—is the star of COLCOA 2019, here to engage the audience and discuss his three new releases.

Tonight, following the North American premiere of Honoré’s new comedy/drama/musical ON A MAGICAL NIGHT, Lacoste will participate in a post-screening Q & A. The film also stars Chiara Mastroianni—who won Best Actress at Cannes this year for her part—Camille Cottin, Carole Bouquet, and Benjamin Biolay as an older version of Lacoste’s character.

On Wednesday night, the actor returns to the festival to introduce Mikhaël Hers’ acclaimed drama AMANDA, featuring Isaure Multrier in the title role. Lacoste is back late Friday night for THE FRESHMEN (Première année), which co-stars William Lebghil. Both films are Los Angeles premieres.

ON A MAGICAL NIGHT

Tuesday, September 24, at 8 pm.

AMANDA

Wednesday, September 25, at 10:25 pm.

THE FRESHMEN

Friday, September 27, at 10:20 pm.

Directors Guild of America

7920 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles.

From top: Vincent Lacoste (center), Camille Cottin (left), and Chiara Mastroianni in On a Magical Night; Benjamin Biolay (left), Cottin, and Lacoste; Lacoste and Mastroianni (center); Lacoste and Isaure Multrier in Amanda; William Lebghil (left) and Lacoste in The Freshmen; Lacoste and Lebghil. Images courtesy and © the filmmakers, the actors, the producers, and the distributors.

COLCOA 2019 — LADJ LY’S LES MISÉRABLES

COLCOA—the annual French film festival in Los Angeles—gets off to a dynamic start this week with the local premiere of Ladj Ly’s acclaimed banlieue drama LES MISÉRABLES, which won the Prix du jury at the 2019 Festival de Cannes and will represent France at the Academy Awards in February.

Inspired by the work of Spike Lee, Jacques Audiard, Raymond Depardon, and Mathieu Kassovitz’s La Haine, Ly’s debut feature tracks the power games and unchecked aggression between the gangs of Clichy-Montfermeil and three of the cops—played by Djebril Zonga, Alexis Manenti, and Damien Bonnard—attached to the district. Jeanne Balibar co-stars as the police chief.

It’s easy to live with each other when you have money. When you don’t, it’s a lot more complicated: you need compromises, arrangements, little deals… It’s a matter of survival. For the cops too, they are in survival mode. [With] LES MISÉRABLES, I’ve tried to be as fair as possible… I was ten years old when I was first stopped and searched by the police, which tells you how well I know cops, how long I’ve lived close by them.Ladj Ly

On opening night, the director will be joined by cast members Zonga and Bonnard for a post-screening conversation. Bonnard will return on Friday for the encore presentation.

LES MISÉRABLES

Monday, September 23, at 7:30 pm.

Friday, September 27, at 5 pm.

Directors Guild of America

7920 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles.

Ladj Ly, Les Misérables (2019), stills, from top: 2018 World Cup victory celebration in Paris, which opens the film; Damien Bonnard (left), Alexis Manenti, and Djebril Zonga; banlieue residents; Zonga, in front of wall mural by JR—part of the artist’s 28 Millimètres, Portrait of a Generation series—depicting Ladj Ly holding video camera; confrontation between Manenti and banlieue resident; young actors; film scene. Images courtesy and © the filmmaker, the actors, the producers, Wild Bunch, and Amazon Studios.

DIANE KURYS — PEPPERMINT SODA

A 2K restoration of PEPPERMINT SODA celebrates the fortieth anniversary of Diane Kurys’ debut film, an autobiographical coming-of-age tale back in release following a one-off screening at COLCOA last spring.

 

PEPPERMINT SODA / DIABOLO MENTHE, through September 6.

AHRYA FINE ARTS, 8556 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills.

laemmle.com/film

Below: Odile Michel and Éléonore Klarwein in Peppermint Soda. Image credit: Cohen Media Group.

COLCOA — ELSA DIRINGER’S LUNA

This weekend, join COLCOA for the North American premiere of Elsa Diringer’s feature debut LUNA, starring Laëtitia Clément in the title role. Rod Paradot (so remarkable three years ago in Standing Tall) co-stars as graffiti artist Alex, victim of an assault by Luna and her boyfriend Ruben (Julien Bodet).

Things get interesting when Alex re-enters Luna’s life…

 

LUNA

Saturday, April 28, at 11 am.

Directors Guild of America

7920 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood.

LUNA won the COLCOA 2018 Prix du Meilleur Premiere Film.

Laëtitia Clément and Rod Paradot in Luna.