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CinémaTuesdays
I Kiffe NY: French Urban Cultures
October 2008

Part of I Kiffe NY: French Urban Cultures Festival
Produced by the Cultural Service of the French Embassy
Co-presented by FIAF

Since the mid-1990s French filmmakers have turned their cameras on the banlieues, the working-class housing projects of France. In conjunction with I Kiffe NY, this series aims to present some of the ways in which French banlieues and their inhabitants are depicted in film. Each film challenges the misrepresentations of the banlieues in modern culture and the social crises facing their inhabitants.

Ain’t Scared

Regarde-moi
Tuesday, October 7 at 12:30pm & 7pm

Audrey Estrougo, 2006.
Color. 93 min. In French with English subtitles.
With Emilie de Preissac, Terry Nimajimbe, Paco Boublard,
Eye Haidara

A story of teenage boys and girls and the struggles that plague them, both large and small. By simply documenting a day in their lives, Ain’t Scared reveals itself as a startling, piercing insight into banlieue life, the likes of which have rarely been explored in cinema since Mathieu Kassovitz’s Hate.

Meet the Director:
Audrey Estrougo presents
Ain’t Scared

Tuesday, October 7 at 7pm

Join director Audrey Estrougo for a Q&A session following the 7pm screening. Ms. Estrougo, who lived in the banlieues for several years, will discuss the influences behind Ain’t Scared, her first fiction feature as a writer and a director.

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My City is Going to Crack

Ma 6-T va crack-er
Tuesday, October 7 at 4pm

Jean-François Richet, 1997.
Color. 105 min. In French with English subtitles.
With Emile Abossolo M’bo, Axel Aïdan, Rodrigue Alberto,
Hughes Amaizo

As two gangs teeter on the cusp of warfare in a Parisian ghetto, the young men caught in the middle search for purpose everywhere—even in violence. My City is unwavering, a harrowing chronicle of how combustible youth can be, and how serious the consequences of flirting with anarchy are.

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[My] Neighbors

Voisins Voisines
Tuesday, October 14 at 12:30pm & 7pm

Malik Chibane, 2004.
Color. 90 min. In French with English subtitles.
With Frédéric Diefenthal, Anémone, Jackie Berroyer, Nora Armani

Set in the Parisian suburbs, [My] Neighbors demonstrates that inspiration for great art is often close to home. Here, a young musician discovers his many muses by turning to his neighbors and writing about their lives and dreams. Soon, this quiet community becomes its own symphony.

Meet the Director:
Malik Chibane presents
[My] Neighbors

Tuesday, October 14 at 7pm

Director Malik Chibane has created a reputation as a social commentator in France, presenting an insider’s look at modern Muslim culture. Join him for a Q&A session following the 7pm screening of [My] Neighbors.

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Wesh Wesh, What’s Happening?

Wesh Wesh, qu’est-ce qui se passe?
Tuesday, October 14 at 4pm

Rabah Ameur-Zaïmèche, 2001.
Color. 83 min. In French with English subtitles.
With Rabah Ameur-Zaïmèche, Ahmed Hammoudi,
Brahim Ameur Zaïmèche, Farida Mouffok

Just as young Mousse begins to surround himself with drugs and gangs, his older brother Yazid returns from prison, desperate to go straight. Wesh Wesh is an intimate, penetrating film of unusual power, exploring how a small housing project exists as a microcosm of the larger world.

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Two Ladies

Dans la vie
Tuesday, October 21 at 12:30 & 7pm

Philippe Faucon, 2008.
Color. 73 min. In French with English subtitles.
With Sabrina Ben Abdallah, Ariane Jacquot, Zohra Mouffok,
Hocine Nini

Anchored by the stirring performances of its lead women, Two Ladies chronicles the friendship between an elderly Jewish woman and her Arab caretaker, depicting their transcendence of generational and religious differences. The resulting tale is no mere fable about an odd couple, but rather a graceful work of humanism.

Meet the Director:
Philippe Faucon presents
Two Ladies

Tuesday, October 21 at 7pm

Due to unforeseen personal circumstances, Mr. Faucon will not be present at FIAF on Oct 21. The film will be screened at 7pm but the post-screening Q&A has been cancelled.

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Little Jerusalem

La petite Jérusalem
Tuesday, October 21 at 4pm

Karin Albou, 2005.
Color. 96 min. In French with English subtitles.
With Fanny Valette, Elsa Zylberstein, Bruno Todeschini,
Hédi Tillette de Clermont Tonnerre, Sonia Tahar

In a suburban neighborhood known as “Little Jerusalem,” Laura wrestles with timeless coming-of-age themes in a society that is rapidly changing. Raised in a staunchly Orthodox household, she remains fiercely loyal to her faith in spite of her compulsions to the contrary, demonstrating how personal and spiritual decisions are also political.

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The Secret of the Grain

La Graine et le mulet
Tuesday, October 28 at 12:30 & 7pm

Abdellatif Kechiche, 2007.
Color. 151 min. In French with English subtitles.
With Habib Boufares, Hafsia Herzi, Faridah Benkhetache,
Abdelhamid Aktouche

Winner of three César Awards this year including Best Film, this seductive picture chronicles a family of North African immigrants in southern France—in particular, its patriarch who, despite nearing retirement age, dreams of opening a restaurant. This enchanting tribute to family will open at IFC in 2008.

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Games of Love and Chance

L’Esquive
Tuesday, October 28 at 4pm

Abdellatif Kechiche, 2003.
Color. 117 min. In French with English subtitles.
With Osman Elkharraz, Sara Forestier, Sabrina Ouazani,
Nanou Benahmou

Writer/director Kechiche ingeniously updates an enduring love story in the high-rise projects of suburban Paris. A chance encounter with the ravishing Lydia leaves Krimo smitten and unsure of how to court her without suffering ridicule from friends. Inspiration unexpectedly comes in the form of a Marivaux play in this unmistakably genuine film.

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In French with English subtitles unless otherwise noted

Florence Gould Hall
55 East 59th Street

Ticket Price
FIAF Members Free* ($2 advance tickets)
Non-Members $10
Students w/ ID $7
*Free tickets are distributed on the day of the event.
Present your membership card at the box office.

Buy Tickets
Ticketmaster.com
Call 212 307 4100

Fax Order Form (pdf)

Visit Box Office

Special Offer
Present your ticket and receive a 15% discount on your bill at Bistro 60 (37 E 60 St). Valid only on date printed on ticket.

Curated by Marie Losier. Special thanks to Malik Chibane, Audrey Estrougo, Philippe Faucon, IFC.

Event Sponsors
Sofitel Luxury Hotels; TV5 Monde/Dishnetwork; ArteEast

I Kiffe NY Festival Sponsors:
Cultural Services of the French Embassy, Florence Gould Foundation, FACE (French American Cultural Exchange), Fondation Jean-Luc Lagardère, BNP Paribas, Playbill

CinémaTuesdays is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State agency.
American Airlines is the official airlines of FIAF.
CinémaTuesdays is sponsored by the generous support of Lillet.

Photos:
Ain’t Scared © Gaumont
Wesh Wesh, What’s Happening? © Haut et Court Distribution
Little Jerusalem © Courtesy of Photofest
The Secret of the Grain © D.R
Games of Love and Chance © Courtesy of Photofest