Say “Bonjour” to French film because TOURNéES is in town

Morgan Lamb

Bonjour, all movie-lovers! The TOURNéES Film Festival is coming to THE UNIVERSITY. The festival is set to feature six different French films starting on Feb. 18-22. The films, each introduced by a Villanova faculty member, span multiple genres and offer a thorough experience of French cinema. The festival, being held in the Connelly Center Cinema, is not only an entertaining opportunity for freshmen to start tackling their ACS-approved events, but a chance for the local community to get involved in campus affairs, as it is free to the public—talk about Unitas. 

The 2015-2016 edition of the TOURNéES Film Festival marks its 20th anniversary. In those 20 years, the festival has spread French cinematic culture to more than 500,000 students through partnerships with over 450 universities—Villanova now adding to those numbers.

The schedule features six French films, each followed by an open discussion. Personally, I am most excited for “Girlhood” and “The Connection.” “Girlhood” is a deep and dynamic coming-of-age film that follows a 16-year-old struggling for direction, identity and control in her life. I predict “Girlhood” will capitalize on how the themes and feelings associated with growing up transcend any boundary of language or place. If you still need convincing, just know it has a 96 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating.

“The Connection” follows police efforts as they try to take down a drug ring and its mastermind. I’ll bet a semester of meal points that if you binge-watched “Narcos” on Netflix or loved “Blow” (2001) you’ll enjoy “The Connection.” 

While the festival is presented by the University’s Department of Romance Languages and Literature’s French and Francophone  Studies program, it is sponsored nationally by the FACE Foundation and Cultural Services of the French Embassy. The FACE Foundation (French American Cultural Exchange in Education and the Arts) aims, “to further international understanding by fostering French American cultural exchange and supporting contemporary creative work in the arts and education.”

Plus, days before the Academy Awards, what better way to get excited for the recognition of American films through the celebration of international ones?