LEXINGTON, Va., Aug. 28, 2023 — The Department of Modern Languages and Cultures and the Dean’s Academic Speakers Fund at Virginia Military Institute present five French films as part of the 2023-24 Albertine Cinémathèque film series. Albertine Cinémathèque expands access to French cinema and supports film programming at American colleges and universities. All films will be shown in the Nichols Engineering Building auditorium. They are free, open to the public, and have English subtitles.

The first film, “The Gravity” will be shown Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 7:45 p.m. A science-fiction movie made earlier this year, “The Gravity” is about an unprecedented alignment of planets impacting gravity that will upset the balance of a ghetto, and the destiny of two sets of brothers eager to do anything for their freedom in an unceasing fight between old and new generations.

The second film titled, “Saint Omer,” will be shown Saturday, Sept. 23 at 8 a.m. This movie is a drama made in 2021.  It tells the story of Rama, a young novelist who attends the trial of Laurence Coly, a young woman accused of killing her 15-month-old daughter by abandoning her to the rising tide on a beach in northern France. But as the trial continues, the words of the accused and witness testimonies will shake Rama’s convictions and call into question the viewer’s own judgement.

“Revoir Paris,” a drama, will be shown Monday, Oct. 9 at 7:45 p.m. After an idyllic date night full of red wine and a late-night motorcycle ride home, Mia stops at a Parisian bistro to take shelter from a downpour. Her reprieve is shattered when a gunman opens fire. Three months later, with a frustratingly hazy memory of the attack, Mia finds herself numbed and unable to resume her life. “Revoir Paris” is a moving meditation on grief, healing, and the importance of connections forged in tragedy.

“Casablanca Beats” is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7:45 p.m. In this film, despite differences in identity, religion, and politics, former rapper, Anas encourages his students to bond together and break free from the weight of restrictive traditions in order to follow their passion and express themselves through the arts. Featuring a dynamic ensemble of first-time actors, many of them students of the real-life cultural center where the film was shot, “Casablanca Beats” is a vibrant and inspiring coming-of-age, hip-hop musical with a decidedly feminist edge. Morocco’s official submission to the 94^th Academy Awards offers a refreshing dose of youthful inspiration alongside a powerful message about the liberating power of self-expression.

The last film, “Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle,” is a war drama and will be shown Saturday, Nov. 4 at 8 a.m. Based on the true story of Hiroo Onoda, the legendary Japanese soldier who spent 30 years in the Philippine jungle, refusing to surrender because he was convinced World War II had not ended. Camouflaged by leaves and bark, shooting water buffalo for sustenance, Onoda will not believe even the recordings of his brother’s voice, imploring him to give up, or the magazine articles left for him in the jungle, meant to enlighten him about a world that had changed dramatically since 1944. Was Onoda a self-deluded fanatic or a paragon of patriotism? Harari’s poignant, epic drama reveals the complexities of the man who became a modern myth.

Albertine Cinematheque is a program of FACE Foundation and Villa Albertine, with support from the CNC / Centre National du Cinema, and SACEM / Fonds Culturel Franco-Américain.

For more information, contact Col. Jeff Kendrick at kendrickjw@vmi.edu or 540-464-7067.

Marianne Hause
Communications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE