From April 10 through 21, 2008, Unifrance is hosting the 5th Panorama of French Cinema in China in partnership with the French Embassy, to be held in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Wuhan.
A selection of 10 feature films will be presented to Chinese audiences: Asterix at the Olympic Games by Frédéric Forestier and Thomas Langmann, Ce que mes yeux ont vu (international English titles: What My Eyes Have Seen and Vanishing Point) by Laurent de Bartillat, Dragon Hunters by Arthur Qwak and Guillaume Ivernel, Hunting and Gathering by Claude Berri, The Grocer’s Son by Éric Guirado (in the presence of the director), L'Heure Zéro (Towards Zero) by Pascal Thomas (in the presence of the actor Clément Thomas), The Maiden and the Wolves by Gilles Legrand (in the presence of the director), Mèche blanche, les aventures du petit castor (White Tuft, the Little Beaver) by Philippe Calderon, On dirait que... (Let's Say) by Françoise Marie (in the presence of the director), and Go West: A Lucky Luke Adventure by Olivier Jean-Marie.
Film screenings will be held in original version with Chinese subtitles, followed by meetings between the directors and audiences. Four of these screenings will include a French short film before the main feature: (Comme un air by Yohann Gloaguen, Premier Voyage by Grégoire Sivan, Somewhere by Emmanuel Murat, and Un bisou pour le monde by Cyril Paris). For the first time this year, the event will also feature a special screening of five short films: Bonne nuit Malik by Bruno Danan, L'Homme sans tête by Juan Solanas, Kitchen by Alice Winocour, Manon sur le bitume by Élizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont, and Taxi Wala by Lola Frederich.
An artistic delegation led by Pathé President Jérôme Seydoux will travel to Beijing for the first leg of the festival, where the event will also welcome as its guest Véronique Cayla, General Director of the CNC. The short films showcased at the festival will be represented by the producer Martine Vidalenc, a member of Unifrance’s Short Film Committee.
The Panorama’s opening ceremony will take place in Beijing on Thursday April 10, at the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Hall.
The delegation will then divide into three groups on Sunday, April 13, with one group traveling to Chengdu, another to Wuhan, and the third group remaining in Beijing. The delegation will once again reunite to take part in the Shanghai screenings, which will kick off on April 15.
