By ROSA C., DANI C., ALLISON O., JOSEPHINE C., ANNA D., and ELA HEYWOOD
This week and next week, Beloit College will host the Albertine Cinématique French and Francophone Film Festival. Wednesday through Friday of both weeks there will be screenings of films in a variety of languages, including French, Pulaar, Igbo, and more. They follow a variety of characters through gripping stories that will have you on the edge of your seat. These are the films being shown this week:
“Banel e Adama” (2023) is a haunting image of the tensions between love and tradition. Banel, a driven young woman from northern Senegal, seeks to escape the expectations of her village with her love, Adama, by digging out and moving into houses buried under the sand just outside. Adama is about to become chief of his village– if he accepts his lineage. In this gripping and calamitous story, Ramata-Toulaye Sy, Senegalaise-French screenwriter and director, breaks not only the romance mold but also stereotypes of Black African women in love stories. With stunning visuals, colors, and powerful audio, “Banel e Adama” is a film that revolutionizes storytelling and our own expectations of traditional film. Screening begins at 7:15 this Wednesday, February 26, in the Weissberg Auditorium in the Powerhouse.
Written and directed by Giacomo Abbruzzese, “Disco Boy” is a mesmerizing journey into the post-colonial fray of citizenship, exploitation, desire, and transcendence. Aleksei is a Belarusian migrant in the French Foreign Legion hoping to gain a French passport; Jomo and Udoka are revolutionary siblings facing off against extractive forces in the Niger Delta. The question of what if haunts the three, and when they collide, the results are devastating. Moving seamlessly through Nigerian jungles and Parisian nightlife while accompanied by stunning visuals and a synthy club soundtrack, “Disco Boy” immerses the viewer into a beautiful and violent cinematic world. We wonder how far Aleksei will go to build a new identity in a land that is either a dreamscape or a nightmare. Screening begins at 7:15 in the Weissberg Auditorium on Thursday, February 27.
“Passages” (2023) shows the confusing pull of lust and love in the modern era. Thomas, a German filmmaker, and Martin, an English artist, have their marriage tested when one of them falls in love with a woman named Agathe. This “unholy trifecta of love triangles” (IndieWire) causes all three players to question what they want out of love and how much they are willing to sacrifice to find it in a colorful, dramatic, and incredibly honest film by Ira Sachs. Screening begins at 7:15 in the Weissberg Auditorium on Friday, February 28.
All films are free, open to the public, and subtitled. The organizers will conduct a brief discussion and Q&A session after each screening, but feel free to sit back and relax as you watch these beautiful and provocative films. We look forward to seeing you there!
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