Kolkata: Thirty-five years after the then French President, François Mitterrand, came to Kolkata in 1989 to confer on cine maestro Satyajit Ray France’s highest civilian honour — the Legion of Honor — at a graceful function in National Library, France is set to again celebrate cinema in Kolkata through the inaugural edition of the French Film Festival.
To be inaugurated on Feb 16 at Nandan, the nine-day festival—organised jointly by the Alliance Fraçaise du Begale and West Bengal Film Centre—includes a full night devoted to short films.The festival will screen 42 movies, including 28 full-length films. While actor Anil Kapoor, director Anurag Kashyap, actor-musician filmmaker Anjan Dutt and actress Rituparna Sengupta will be present at the inauguration, France’s ambassador in India Thierry Mathou, directors Sudhir Mishra and Goutam Ghose and Indian actress Mia Maelzar, known for her role in the blockbuster French film ‘La Tresse’ directed by Laetitia Colombani, will be present at the closing ceremony.
“It is always very exciting to start a new and ambitious project, especially when it has to do with the newly-born first French Film Festival of Kolkata (FFFK). Apart from screening movies for all kinds of tastes, FFFK will pay a deserved tribute to prominent filmmakers and actors from West Bengal and the rest of India,” said consul general of France in Kolkata, Didier Talpain.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee said the festival marks the convergence of cultures through the medium of cinema, marking a significant chapter in the ever-growing relationship between Bengal and France. “We have deep-rooted cultural ties with France, transcending geographical boundaries and continental differences, and I have no doubt that the festival, through the vibrant celebration of the shared artistic spirit that binds us, will play a significant role in bringing the two regions even closer to each other,” she remarked.
The highlights are four sections — French New Wave dedicated to the works of Godard, Truffaut, Varda and others; French contemporary films ; Indian filmmakers who have featured at Cannes and a section dedicated to young audience.