Date & Time: Sunday September 5th / 1pm

Location: The Gate Cinema

Details: Jean-Luc Godard /France / 1965 / 99 mins

Starring: Eddie Constantine, Anna Karina, Akim Tamiroff

Synopsis: Alphaville is name of the critical journal published by the Film and Screen Media at University College Cork, just one example of the continued reach of the new wave masterpiece by Jean-Luc Godard. Godard’s influence on cinema has been immeasurable and we’re delighted to give cinéphiles an opportunity to see his dystopian sci-fi classic on the big screen, a screening not to be missed. As with all futuristic films, it’s interesting to see how they endure over time and how they comment on contemporary society. As Guardian writer Richard Williams wrote ten years ago “ Jean-Luc Godard’s film – “a science fiction film without special effects” in the words of the critic Andrew Sarris; “a fable on a realistic ground” in Godard’s own description – is a cry of protest aimed at the worshippers of science and logic. Unlike Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, which now resembles a picturesque relic of long-abandoned aspirations, Alphaville still seems to be watching the world come to meet it. And the world is very much closer to the director’s creation than it was back in 1965.”

Date & Time: Sunday September 5th / 3.00pm

Location: The Gate Cinema

Details: Gabriel Le Bomin / France / 2020 / 110 mins

Starring: Lambert Wilson, Isabelle Carré, Olivier Gourmet, Catherine Mouchet

Premiere: Irish Premiere

Synopsis: Paris 1940. De Gaulle is confronted with the military and political collapse of France. This look at the life of one of the 20th Century’s most important leaders covers the brief period of April to June 1940 – a few critical months when de Gaulle made his way to London to ask Churchill for support in his bid to establish a French force to work against the Vichy Government’s armistice with Germany. It was the beginnings of the French resistance and a pivotal point in the war. As threat advances, his wife Yvonne and their children are soon forced to flee to Brittany. The transformative interpretation of De Gaulle by Lambert Wilson, earned him a nomination for Best Actor at the César awards 2021.

Presented with the support of the French Embassy in Ireland and Institut Français.

Date & Time: Sunday September 5th / 6.00pm

Location: The Gate Cinema

Details: Richard Minier & Edouard Salier / France / 2020 / 81 mins / Documentary

Synopsis: In the midst of the Cold War in 1964, ten promising young musicians from Mali were invited to Cuba for musical training and went on to invented a whole new genre, Afro- Cuban Music. This documentary follows in the footsteps of the musicians who became a founding group of world music, the legendary Maravillas of Mali. Fifty years later, this forgotten group is resurrected thanks to Maestro Boncana Maïga, its historical leader. Africa Mia is a journey in search of the soul of Afro-Cuban music; from the communist friendships of the Cold War to today, from Havana to Bamako.

Presented with the support of the French Embassy in Ireland and Institut Français.

Date & Time: Sunday September 5th / 11.00am (Family Film)

Location: The Gate Cinema

Details: Lorenzo Mattotti / France / 2019 / 82 mins

Starring: Leïla Bekhti, Almerina, Thomas Bidegain Gedeone

Premiere: Irish Premiere / Cannes Film Festival / Annecy Film Festival

Synopsis: A wonderful story for children based on the famous 1946 book by Dino Buzzati. Starving after a harsh winter and in search of food, the bears descend from the mountains and invade the valley below, where they face fierce opposition from the army of the Grand Duke of Sicily. After many battles, scrapes and dangers, the bears’ reign is established over the land, but their victory comes at a price.

“Beautifully drawn with bold colours and appealing shapes, the film’s style is classic animation at its best, clear and pleasing, calculated to charm children and adults alike” – Variety.

Presented with the support of the French Embassy in Ireland and Institut Français.

Date & Time: Sunday September 5th / 8.30pm (Closing night film)

Location: The Gate Cinema

Details: Ann Sirot & Raphaël Balboni / Belgium / 2020 / 87 mins

Starring: Jo Deseure, Jean Le Peltier, Lucie Debay

Premiere: Irish Premiere

Awards: Best Film Audience Award, Bergamo Film Festival 2021

Synopsis: Alex and Noémie, both in their thirties, want a child. But their plans are upset when Alex’s mother, Suzanne, starts acting rather bizarrely. It is due to her suffering from “semantic dementia,” a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that influences her behaviour. She spends money recklessly, visits her neighbours in the middle of the night to eat slices of bread, and cobbles together a fake driver’s license for herself with scissors and glue. Suzanne the mother becomes an uncontrollable child. An unexpected and unusual parenting boot camp for Noémie and Alex!

“Raphaël Balboni and Ann Sirot deliver a delicately balanced work, tackling a serious subject with imagination and determination” – Cineuropa.