There are four films in French coming to Brisbane International Film Festival 2024 later this month. These include a directorial debut had 10 million spectators in France; an Oscar-nominated director’s first film in over 25 years, a part-ghost story, part-horror, part-feminist comedy; and a Quebecois rom-com. Read on to discover these films.
A Little Something Extra (Un p’tit truc de plus)
This film made its Australian debut at Serge Thomann’s fundraiser last week.
Country: France
Language: French
Director: Artus (his first film as Director, you may have seen him in The President’s Wife at the Alliance Française French Film Festival earlier this year)
Having just robbed a jewellery store only to discover their getaway car has been impounded, a notorious criminal and his adult son Paulo (Artus) chance upon an unexpected escape route when they are mistakenly ushered onto a bus bound for a summer camp for young adults with disabilities.
Kicking off a series of misadventures, it also becomes a profound experience that transforms the pair forever. What begins as a desperate escape plan turns into an unexpected journey of personal growth and connection, altering their lives in ways they never anticipated.
Popular French comedian Artus writes, directs and stars in this warm and deeply humanistic comedy, one that promotes acceptance and diversity. And it’s a story that resonated with French audiences too; achieving the second-best opening in French cinema history and surpassing 10 million admissions to become one of the highest grossing French titles of all time.
Country: Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Poland
Languages: Arabic, English, French and Polish
Director: Agnieszka Holland
In the treacherous forests that make up the so called “green border” between Belarus and Poland, refugees from the Middle East and Africa try to reach the European Union.
Unwittingly trapped in a political game cynically engineered by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko to provoke the European powers. Refugees are lured to the border by propaganda promising easy passage to the EU.
Pawns in this hidden war, the lives of Julia, a newly minted activist who has given up her comfortable life, Jan, a young border guard, and a Syrian family intertwine.
30 years after Europa Europa, three-time Oscar Nominee Agnieszka Holland’s poignant new feature Green Border opens our eyes, speaks to the heart, and challenges us to reflect on the moral choices that fall to ordinary people every day.
The Balconettes (Les femmes au balcon)
Country: France
Language: French
Director: Noémie Merlant (who we’re more accustomed to seeing on the other side of the camera such as in A Difficult Year (currently in cinemas), One Year, One Night, The Innocent, Paris, 13th district)
This part-ghost story, part-horror, part-feminist comedy takes place during a scorching Marseille heatwave.
Three female roommates take refuge from the relentless sun on their apartment’s balcony. Unashamedly spying and gossiping about their neighbours, particularly a handsome and enigmatic man. Flirtation, fantasies and imagination lead to a few late-night drinks in his apartment. A troubling dispute spirals into bloody chaos as the story delves into the complexities of coercion and consent, along with a generous splash of blood and gore.
This French film is just as dark as it is hilarious and made headlines when it premiered in the Midnight Screenings at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in May 2024, where it competed for the Queer Palm, an independently sponsored prize for selected LGBT-relevant films.
The Nature of Love (Simple comme Sylvain)
Country: France
Language: French
Director: Monia Chokri
This Quebecois film was part of the Alliance Française French Film Festival 2024 program. It also won the César for Best Foreign Film this year.
Sophia, a 40-year-old philosophy professor, is in a long-term stable but somewhat socially-conforming relationship with Xavier, her intellectual equal but a man who is more her best friend than lover. Sylvain is the working-class contractor hired to renovate their holiday home in the Canadian woods.
Despite their differences, Sophia and Sylvain share an electrifying, creative, and uncontrollable sexual chemistry and an unpredictable affair begins. Exploring the nature of desire in a rom-com for the modern age, this film radiates with wit, passion and warmth.
KEY INFO FOR BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2024
WHAT: Brisbane International Film Festival 2024 (BIFF)
WHEN: 24 October – 3 November 2024
WHERE: A variety of cinemas in Brisbane
HOW: Purchase your tickets via the film links above
HOW MUCH:
Individual ticket prices are as follows:
- Adult tickets $18
- Concession $15
If you’re planning on seeing a few films at BIFF 2024, you may like to purchase a BIFF TIX Pack.
- 6 pack $96 (or $78 for students and concession)
- 10 pack $150
- 20 pack $280
Which films are you planning to see at Brisbane International Film Festival 2024?
For more events with links to France and the Francophonie happening in Australia this month, check out our What’s on in October
