The French Embassy in Berlin and the German Film Office are hosting the 4th Berlin French Film Festival this year from July 8 through 14, presenting a selection of preview films and titles not as yet acquired in Germany.
As in previous years, festival organizers have maintained their policy of presenting a varied selection of films, with the aim of reflecting the diversity of current French film production. 18 titles will be showcased this year, all of which have been (or are to be) released in France between 2000 and 2004. Among the films presented, Berlin audiences will have the chance to see "Chouchou" ("Darling") by Merzak Allouache, "Comment j'ai tué mon père" ("How I Killed My Father") by Anne Fontaine, "Demi-tarif" by Isild Le Besco, "Filles Uniques" by Pierre Jolivet, "La petite Lili" ("Little Lili") by Claude Miller, "Le Coût de la vie" ("The Cost of Living") by Philippe Le Guay, "Les jours où je n'existe pas" by Jean-Charles Fitoussi, "Pas sur la bouche" ("Not On the Lips") by Alain Resnais, "Sansa" by Siegfried, "Une femme d'extérieur" by Christophe Blanc, "Venus et fleur" by Emmanuel Mouret, "Vert Paradis" by Emmanuel Bourdieu and "Pas de repos pour les braves" ("No Rest for the Brave"), "Du soleil pour les gueux" and "Ce vieux rêve qui bouge" ("Real Cool Time" aka "That Old Dream That Moves"), all three by Alain Guiraudie, whose work is given a particularly enthusiastic welcome by the festival this year.
Alain Guiraudie will be in Berlin to present his three medium-length and feature-length films, as will Emmanuel Bourdieu, for his film, "Vert Paradis."
The festival will also present a Tribute to actor Jean Gabin, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday this year. Three of his films will be presented in the two theaters traditionally devoted to the event (the Paris Cinema and the Filmtheater am Friedrichshain): "Touchez pas au grisbi" ("Hands Off the Loot, " aka "Grisbi") directed by Jacques Becker, which was released in France in 1954; "Le jour se lève" ("Daybreak") by Marcel Carné, from 1939 and "Mélodie en sous-sol" ("Anyone Can Win," aka "Big Grab") directed by Henri Verneuil in 1963.
