Adelaide Film Festival 2024 (AFF 2024) starts next Wednesday. Earlier this week we told you about the French language features, today we share with you other films with French links at AFF 2024, whether it be French directors, French co-productions or short films from the Francophonie that aren’t in French or have no dialogue at all!
There’s a Spanish language film from a French director; the first Indian film in competition at Cannes in 30 years; a captivating animated feature that won 4 awards at Annecy; a film set in a crocodile farm in West Java; a film about the search for a long-lost niece in Istanbul; a playful tale about hope and joy; a biopic about an opera legend, and a searing indictment of Tehran’s theocracy and its treatment of women.
There are also a few short films with French links. Read on to discover these 13 films with French links to see at AFF 2024.
Countries: France, India, Netherlands, Luxembourg
Languages: Malayam and Hindi
Director: Payal Kapadia
A landmark film, being the first Indian film in competition at Cannes in 30 years, with director Payal Kapadia also the first Indian female filmmaker in the running. Kapadia’s success was sealed with a Grand Prix win at Cannes, another first for Indian cinema.
Anu and Prabha, two nurses from Mumbai, are navigating the frustrations of their romantic lives. Prabha’s long-distant husband in Germany reaches out after a year of silence, while Anu faces the challenge of finding privacy with her boyfriend. They escape the city’s chaos for a serene seaside town. Far from the demands of city life, the women find a space where their desires and emotions surface in ways they hadn’t anticipated.
Kapadia beautifully captures the contrast between Mumbai’s frenetic energy and the tranquil rhythms of the coastal town, bringing both environments to life with vivid detail. After winning Cannes’ Golden Eye for Best Documentary in 2021 for A Night of Knowing Nothing, Kapadia continues to establish herself as a powerful new voice in global cinema.
Countries: Indonesia, France, Singapore & Germany
Language: Indonesian
Director: Tumpal Tampubolon
Mama snaps and cries just like her beloved crocodiles in this brilliant Indonesian suspense thriller.
Johan’s overbearing mother starts to spiral when she learns of his affection for new-in-town Arumi. When the isolated world she’s built inside their run-down crocodile farm is threatened, Mama starts to mimic the creatures she shares such a strong bond with.
The expression ‘crocodile tears’ refers to insincere sorrow or remorse, stemming from the animal’s biological reaction to shed tears while devouring its prey. Strangely enough, the same teeth crocodiles use to bite into their prey are used to cradle their young.
Director Tumpal Tampubolon’s suspenseful and thrilling feature debut explores the emotionally complex relationship between a mother and son, and the toxicity of authoritarian parenting. Johan never asked for this life; neither did Mama. But the two share an intimate relationship within their scarcely visited crocodile farm in West Java. When Johan gets a taste of life outside, Mama’s manipulation slowly reveals itself.
Countries: Sweden, Denmark France, Türkiye & Georgia
Languages: Georgian, Turkish & English
Director: Levan Akin
A retired Georgian teacher searching for her long-lost niece in Istanbul finds herself in this transformative city where others go to lose themselves.
On the coast of the Black Sea in Batumi, Georgia, Lia (Mzia Arabuli) is looking for her long-lost niece, Tekla. At Tekla’s old address, Lia meets Achi (Lucas Kankava), a bored, wayward youth looking for any escape from his violent household. The two make an unlikely pair as they travel to Istanbul in search of Tekla. It’s here in the bustling city, in the cramped, impoverished quarters, where the two continue their search.
In Istanbul, the film also follows Evrim (Deniz Dumanli), a lawyer fighting for trans rights. With Evrim’s help, the two come closer to finding Tekla. This is the fourth film from Levan Akin, who wowed audiences with his critically acclaimed 2019 film And Then We Danced. Crossing continues Akin’s exploration of cultural divides in this corner of Europe. Winner of the Teddy Jury Award at Berlinale, this powerful film will tug your heart strings until the very end.
Country: France, Mexico & United States
Language: Spanish
Director: Jacques Audiard
Cannes Best Actress prize was awarded to the ensemble cast of this gritty, exhilarating musical-drama.
Overqualified and overexploited, lawyer Rita (Zoe Saldaña) works at a large firm in Mexico more inclined to whitewash criminals than to serve justice. But an unexpected offer from a cartel leader presents a way out.
Manitas (Karla Sofía Gascón) enlists Rita to help extract herself from the business and set up a plan for her wife (Selena Gomez) and kids after her disappearance, all with one driving motivation: to become the woman she’s always dreamed of becoming, Emilia Pérez.
Emilia creates a new life for herself, helping the loved ones of cartel victims find their bodies. That is, until her past begins to catch up and threatens to unravel everything she and Rita have worked to build.
Directed by Jacques Audiard with music by Camille and Clément Ducol, this at once pop opera, narco thriller and gender affirmation drama. Emilia Pérez earned its ensemble cast of women a joint Best Actress award at Cannes.
Country: France, Belgium and Latvia
Language: No Dialogue
Director: Gint Zilablodis
Flow is a stunning, universally relatable animated masterpiece for all ages.
Flow, which premiered at Cannes and went on to win four awards at Annecy, including both the Audience and Jury prizes, is a cinematic gem that transcends typical animation. Directed by Gints Zilbalodis, whose debut Away marked him as a rising talent, this is a visual and emotional triumph.
The story follows Cat, a solitary creature whose life is upended by a catastrophic flood. Seeking refuge, Cat boards a boat filled with an eclectic mix of animals. Despite their differences, they must come together to survive in this new, uncertain world.
Zilbalodis’ remarkable animation style brings the story to life with naturalistic movement and an authentic soundscape using real animal sounds. The film’s visual poetry is matched by its thematic depth; while it can be seen as a fable where animals reflect human behaviours, Flow ultimately offers more than simple allegory. It’s an immersive experience that invites audiences to lose themselves in its heightened reality.
Director: Pablo Larraín
Countries: Italy, Germany & US
Languages : English & Greek
Maria tells the tumultuous, beautiful and tragic story of the life of the world’s greatest female opera singer, Maria Callas, relived and reimagined during her final days in 1970s Paris.
Directed by Pablo Larraín (Jackie, Spencer), Maria is the third historical biopic from the acclaimed Chilean director with a focus on iconic women grappling with fame and celebrity.
Angelina Jolie delivers a transcending performance as Maria Callas, the American-born, Greek opera singer, during the final week of her life. Maria takes a closer look at the legendary soprano as the diva reckons with her identity and life. Also, as a love letter to the beauty of Paris, the film must be seen on the big screen.
Countries: Iran, France, Sweden & Germany
Language: Farsi
Directors: Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Saneeha
One night. Two lonely hearts. Endless possibilities.
Brimming with poignant performances and sprinkled with both comedy and emotional truth, My Favourite Cake has all the ingredients for a delectable, bittersweet romance. Seventy-year-old Mahin (Lili Farhadpour) lives alone in Tehran since she was widowed thirty years ago. She lives in a kind of limbo, sleeping until noon, listening to her friends complain about their ailments, and wistfully remembering her country’s liberal past before morality police patrolled the streets. But after she opens herself up to new romance with divorced taxi driver Faramarz (Esmaeel Mehrabi), what begins as an unexpected encounter quickly evolves into an unpredictable, unforgettable evening.
“This is a story based on the reality of the everyday lives of middle-class women in Iran and a close look at a woman’s loneliness as she enters her senior years. …The film is a playful tale about hope and joy in life, as well as the absurdity of death.” (Directors Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Saneeha)
Countries: Iran, Germany & France
Language: Farsi
Director: Mohammad Rasoulof
More than any other filmmaker, Mohammad Rasoulof has had the courage to push the boundaries of what is permissible in Iranian cinema. This searing indictment of Tehran’s theocracy and its treatment of women comes from one of the foremost critics of the regime.
Iman (Misagh Zare) is a complacent servant of the state with a comfortable place inside a rotten system. He is appointed as a judge which gives him the power of life and death, as well as a nice new apartment, and a gun to protect it all. Cracks quickly appear as he faces a generational revolt within his family and his gun goes missing. This depiction of tyranny transforms into a surprisingly taut political thriller.
The story behind the film is every bit as eventful. Rasoulof suffered imprisonment and the threat of flogging for unauthorised filmmaking. He presented the film at Cannes only after fleeing Iran on foot across the mountains.
SHORT FILMS WITH FRENCH LINKS
Country: Canada
Language: French
Directors: Alexandra Myotte & Jean-Sébastien Hamel
Zoe and brother Theo are left to fend for themselves and the two children must try not to lose each other.
Screening with Animated Shorts including Hurikán and Silent Panorama (both below)
Country: Czech Republic, France, Slovakia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
Language: Czech
Director: Jan Saska
In Hurikán, a determined protagonist embarks on a madcap mission to save their favourite beer stand, racing against time to impress the bartender by fetching a new keg. Jan Saska’s irresistibly clever short film, which captivated audiences and won the coveted Audience Award at Annecy, marks her as a talent to watch.
Screening with Animated Shorts including A Crab in the Pool (above) and Silent Panorama (below)
Country: Belgium
Language: No dialogue
Director : Nicolas Piret
Two campers follow their clothes as they float away on a stream in the Belgian Ardennes, then people disturb their peace.
Screening with Animated Shorts including A Crab in the Pool and Hurikán (both above)
Country: France
Language: French
Director: Guil Sela
Two filmmakers record the quotidian and the unusual as they scour Montsouris Park for documentary subjects.
Screening with World Shorts including Palestine Islands (below) co-directed by French directors Nour Ben Salem and Julien Menanteau
Country : Palestine
Language : Arabic
Directors : Nour Ben Salem & Julien Menanteau
West Bank resident Maha hatches a crazy plan to make her blind grandfather believe that a return to his homeland is possible.
Screens as part of World Shorts with Montsouris Park (above) among others.
KEY INFO ABOUT AFF 2024
WHAT: Adelaide Film Festival 2024 (AFF 2024)
WHERE: Various cinemas across Adelaide
WHEN: 23 October – 3 November 2024
HOW: Purchase your tickets via the links above of if you’re seeing several films, passes can be purchased via this link
HOW MUCH: Ticket prices are as follows:
Individual tickets to standard sessions:
Full Price $25
Concession & Industry $20
Groups of 10+ $19 per person
There are also passes available if you’re planning to see several films at Adelaide Film Festival 2024
3 Film Pass – Full Price $59
3 Film Pass – Concession & Industry $49
5 Film Pass – Full Price $95
5 Film Pass – Concession & Industry $79
10 Film Pass – Full Price $175
10 Film Pass – Concession & Industry $145
Gold Pass – Full Price $299 (1 ticket to all standard screenings, standby priority, and an official AFF lanyard)
Gold Pass – Concession & Industry $255 (1 ticket to all standard screenings, standby priority, and an official AFF lanyard)
Platinum Pass – Full Price $599 (1 ticket to all standard screenings and galas, select party and event invitations, standby priority, concierge booking service, and an official AFF lanyard.)
Platinum Pass – Concession & Industry $255 (1 ticket to all standard screenings and galas, select party and event invitations, standby priority, concierge booking service, and an official AFF lanyard.)
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Which films are you planning to see at AFF 2024?
If you can’t make it to AFF 2024, or even if you can, and want to watch French films and series, don’t miss these ones leaving SBS on Demand in October 2024
