BY ROSA COIT, DANI CARLSON, ALLISON O., JOSEPHINE C., ANNA D., and ELA HEYWOOD
This week, Beloit College will host the Albertine Cinématheque French and Francophone Film Festival. Wednesday through Friday, there will be screenings of films made by a variety of French-speaking directors. Ranging in genres from science fiction to documentary, these films capture the variety of human experience and need for freedom– and leave you wanting more. These are the films being shown this week:
“Orlando: My Political Biography” (2023), directed by Paul B. Preciado, is an exploration of trans joy and resistance, refashioning Virgina Woolf’s 1928 novel “Orlando: A Biography” into something bigger, fiercer, and somehow, queerer. Preciado admires Woolf’s work but pushes against Woolf’s characterization of Orlando as a figure of aristocratic and colonial forces, casting twenty trans and nonbinary people in the role of Orlando to expand beyond the individual into the collective. Through Preciado’s camera, everyone is an Orlando, unable to be constrained by the rigidity of masculinity and femininity. It’s beautiful, it’s tragic, it’s romantic, it’s painful, and there’s a glittery, fabulous dance scene. What’s not to love? “Orlando: My Political Biography” will be screening Wednesday March 6 at 7:15 p.m. in the Weissberg Auditorium.
“La Gravité” or “The Gravity” (2022) is a sci-fi thriller directed by Cédric Ido. It follows Daniel, his brother Joshua, and Christophe in a futuristic Parisian hood and sheds light on the complexities and trauma of gang violence, drug dealing and socio-economic struggles. A gang of young kids starts running Daniel’s neighborhood and targets Daniel and his brother for selling on their territory. They call themselves the Ronin, inspired by Japanese manga. The Ronin are cruel, merciless, but describe themselves as a “brotherhood.” “La Gravité” not only puts the reality of many on the big screen but also is an engaging, suspenseful sci-fi masterpiece. The film will screen on Thursday, March 6 at 7:15 in the Weissberg Auditorium in the Powerhouse.
“Lumumba: Death of a Prophet,” directed by Raoul Peck (“I Am Not Your Negro” 2016; “Lumumba” 2000), tells the story of Patrice Lumumba, the first Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Lumumba was the leader of the Mouvement National Congolese (MNC), a political party that sought a free DRC. Peck, a Haitian director, chronicles Lumumba’s rise to power, fall from leadership, and assassination alongside Peck’s own early life growing up in the DRC. “Lumumba: La mort d’un prophète” is a scathing indictment of the Belgian colonization and occupation of the DRC and a tragic story of a man intent on fixing his country. The film will show on Friday, March 7 at 7:15 in the Weissberg Auditorium. Snacks will be provided by the French Club.
All films are free, open to the public, and subtitled. There will be a brief discussion and Q&A session by the organizers after each of the screenings, but feel free to sit back and relax as you watch these beautiful and provocative films. We look forward to seeing you there!
Featured image: “Orlando: My Political Biography” poster; criterion
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