France

Synopsis:
The story of Saartjes Baartman, a Black domestic who, in 1808, left Southern Africa, then ruled by Dutch settlers, for Europe, following her boss Hendrick Caesar , hoping to find fame and fortune there. Once in London her master turned manager does nothing but exhibit her as a freak in a phony and humiliating carnival show. After a series of troubles caused by their act, Caesar, Saartje and their new friend, bear-tamer Réaux, head for Paris where once again, and against her will, she has to mimic savagery and expose her body, first in carnivals, then in the aristocratic salons of Paris, later on among the libertines and finally in brothels where she ends up being a prostitute. Read More »

‘Feeling Good,’ was originally one of the vignettes included in the director’s anthology feature ‘As Long as You’ve Got Your Health,’ but was later replaced with another short when Etaix was given the opportunity to re-work and re-release that film. In this comical misadventure, a man (Pierre Etaix) attempts to enjoy a camping trip out in the peaceful wilderness — but, as one might expect, he runs into a few issues, leading to a series of silly accidents. Eventually the man is forced into a satirically larger-than-life camping ground (fenced off like a prison) where he meets more bizarre characters and attempts to escape.Read More »

Synopsis
With no legal means left to him, a high school teacher devises a daring plan to rescue his wrongfully imprisoned wife from jail…Read More »

The story of [OSS 117 se déchaîne] follows secret agent Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath AKA OSS 117, as he investigates the recent death of fellow agent Roos who had an unfortunate accident off the shores of Bonifacio, France while scuba diving. Smelling foul play, Hubert flies into the coastal town of Bonifacio, interrogating all who had interacted with his late friend just before his death. His investigations eventually take him to a remote location, where a new submarine detector has been developed on. This new device could tip the fragile peace between warring factions and cast the earth into another world war, so obviously OSS 117 has to put a monkey wrench in their plans. This classy effort is as fun as it sounds, provided by some beautiful photography and an interesting and engaging cast.Read More »

An evil Indian doctor, Dr.Guna Sinn […] working in Thailand has developed a biological weapon that will reduce the world’s population in accordance with his eugenicist beliefs. OSS 117 has to stop him with the help of a Thai sidekick and seduce the Indian doctor’s sister Lila while he is at it.’Read More »

Quote:
Agnes Varda directed this drama which combines formal dramatic structures with the openness of improvisational cinema verite. Independent filmmaker Shirley Clarke plays an avant-garde film director attempting to work with a major studio to finance her next project, in which she hopes to collaborate with James Rado and Jerome Ragni, creators of the musical Hair (who play themselves). She also wants to use Andy Warhol superstar Viva (who also appears as herself) as her leading lady. However, after much give and take between herself and the moneymen, the director learns that the plug has been pulled on her project, pushing her to the brink of suicide.Read More »

Mon oncle d’Amérique (“My American Uncle”) is a 1980 French film directed by Alain Resnais. The film stars Gérard Depardieu, Nicole Garcia, and Roger Pierre.

The didactic film is built around the ideas of French physician, writer and philosopher Henri Laborit, who plays himself in the film. It uses the stories of three people to illustrate Laborit’s theories on evolutionary psychology regarding the relationship of self and society.Read More »

Synopsis:
André Fragman (baptised “Fairbanks” by his cinema projectionist father) returns from his military service with a diploma in chemistry. He expects to have no trouble finding a job, since a relative of his, Etienne, has promised him a place in his company. Meanwhile, André meets and falls in love with a student actress, Marie, who is rehearsing for a stage production of Alice in Wonderland. When André’s promised job fails to materialise, he ends up having to take manual work, but he has difficulty holding down any job he can find. Frustrated, his mood changes for the worse, and he ends up driving away Marie…Read More »

Synopsis:
Victoria is a thirty-something divorced lawyer who’s struggling to raise her two daughters. She is canny and cynical but on the verge of an emotional breakdown. At a friend’s wedding she reconnects with Vincent, an old friend, and Sam, an old client. Her life is about to take a new turn.Read More »