Rendezvous with French cinema at IFFI 2007

Panaji, Nov 22 (IANS) More than 15 long features and co-productions representing a diversity of French cinema will be showcased during the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) that begins in Goa on Friday.

'From the inception of this new form of art, more than a century ago, both France and India felt a strong inclination for what was to be commonly known as the seventh art,' said Jerome Bonnafo, ambassador of France in India.

Among the 15 films being screened are the French Oscar entry 'Orchestra Seats' ('Fauteuils d'Orchestre') and the box-office hit 'Taxi 4'. Three keenly awaited films -- '99 Francs', a film adaptation of a best-seller book, 'The Second Wind', a remake of one of the finest films in French cinema history, and the amazing 'Intimate Enemy', a first of its kind look at the Algerian struggle for independence -- will also be showcased at IFFI.

IFFI organisers here said the six films of the 'Living Together' collection prepared by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs are 'modern-day fables about French society'.

'Living Together' will include the films 'Samia' by Philippe Faucon, 'When You Come Down From Heaven' ('Quand Tu Descendras Ducie') by Eric Guirard, 'What's Going On' ('Wesh, Wesh, Qu'est Ce Qui Se Passe?') by Rabah Ameur-Zaimeche, 'My Neighbours' ('Voisins, Voisines') by Malik Chibane, 'Zim & Co' by Pierre Jolivet, and 'Forgetting Cheyenne' ('Oublier Cheyenne') by Valerie Minetto.

Meanwhile, the Film Heritage section, co-organised by the Thomson Foundation, will attempt to bring together some of the masterpieces of the history of world cinema.

The world cinema section will include: 'The Second Wind' ('Le 2eme Souffle') by Alain Corneau (2007), 'The Intimate Enemy' ('L'ennemi Intime') by Florent Emilio Siri (2007), '99 Francs' by Jan Kounen (2007), 'Change of Address' ('Changement d'Adresse') by Emmanuel Mouret (2006), 'Taxi 4' by Gerard Krawczyk (2007), 'Orchestra Seats' ('Les Fauteuils d'Orchestre') by Daniele Thomson (2006), 'The Songs of Love' ('Les Chansons d'Amour') by Christophe Honore (2007), 'The Page Turner ('La Tourneuse de Pages') by Denis Dercourt (2005), 'The Other' ('L'Autre') by Ariel Rotter (2007), and 'Goodbye Bafana' by Bille August(2007).

Veteran filmmaker and Indophile Alain Corneau will be leading the French delegation to IFFI at Goa.

The team will comprise of Florent-Emilio Siri, Jan Kounen and actress Fanny Valette as well as the Thomson Foundation team, the European Club of Producers, Samira Zaibat of the international critic's week in Cannes and Fabien Westerhoff, who is participating in the Film Bazaar section organised by the National Film Development Corporation.