Films Announced for Cinema St. Louis’ CLASSIC FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL April 10th – 26th at Webster University and Washington University

By Tom Stockman | March 5, 2020

Cinema St. Louis presents the 12th Annual Robert Classic French Film Festival which takes place  April 10th – 26th 2020. The location this year are both Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 E Lockwood Ave) and Washington University’s Brown Hall Auditorium, Forsyth & Skinker boulevards. 

The 12th Annual Robert Classic French Film Festival — presented by TV5MONDE and produced by Cinema St. Louis — celebrates St. Louis’ Gallic heritage and France’s cinematic legacy. This year’s featured films span the decades from the 1920s through the 1980s, offering a revealing overview of French cinema. 

The fest annually includes significant restorations, and this year features a quartet of such works: Diane Kurys’ “Entre Nous,” Joseph Losey’s “Mr. Klein,” Jacqueline Audry’s “Olivia,” and the extended director’s cut of Jean-Jacques Beineix’s “Betty Blue.”

The fest also provides one of the few opportunities available in St. Louis to see films projected the old-school, time-honored way, with Jean-Luc Godard’s “Vivre sa vie,” Agnès Varda’s “Vagabond,” and Marguerite Duras’ rarely seen “India Song” all screening from 35mm prints. 

Even more traditional, we also offer silent films with live music. As part of a program of surrealist films, St. Louis’ own Rats & People Motion Picture Orchestra will accompany two groundbreaking shorts: Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí’s “Un chien andalou” and Germaine Dulac’s “La coquille et le clergyman,” playing original scores created especially for the screening. The program will conclude with Buñuel and Dalí’s final collaboration, the feature “L’age d’or,” which is also one of France’s first sound films.

As part of our year-long Golden Anniversaries programming, two 1970 films celebrating their 50th anniversaries — René Clément’s “Rider on the Rain” (with an introduction and post-film discussion by We Are Movie Geeks own Tom Stockman !)  and Eric Rohmer’s “Claire’s Knee” — round out the schedule.

Every program features introductions and discussions by film or French scholars and critics. All films are in French with English subtitles.

Tickets are $14 for general admission; $10 for students and Cinema St. Louis members. Advance tickets can be purchased through the Cinema St. Louis website. More details can be found HERE

Here’s the line-up:

Friday, April 10th:

Mr. Klein

7:30pm at Washington University’s Brown Hall Auditorium. Directed by Joseph Losey, 1976 – With an introduction and post-film discussion by Pier Marton, video artist and self-described “Unlearning Specialist at the School of No Media.” Marton has appeared with his work at such major museums as MoMA in New York, lectured at Yad Vashem: The World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, and taught at several leading U.S. universities. He regularly presents films at the Holocaust Museum and Learning Center in St. Louis.

Saturday, April 11th:

Olivia

5pm at Washington University’s Brown Hall Auditorium Directed by Jacqueline Audry, 1951. With an introduction and post-film discussion by Cait Lore, film critic for Cinema St. Louis’ The Lens.

Saturday, April 11th:

Entre Nous/Coup de foudre

7:30pm at Washington University’s Brown Hall Auditorium. Directed by Diane Kurys, 1983. With an introduction and post-film discussion by Colin Burnett, interim chair and associate professor of Film & Media Studies at Washington U. and author of “The Invention of Robert Bresson: The Auteur and His Market.”

Sunday, April 12:

Claire’s Knee

7:00pm at Washington University’s Brown Hall Auditorium. Directed by Eric Rohmer in 1970. With an introduction and post-film discussion by Robert Garrick, attorney, board member of the French-preservation nonprofit Les Amis, and former contributor to the davekehr.com film blog.

Friday, April 17:

India Song

7:30pm at Webster University’s Winifred Moore Auditorium. Directed by Marguerite Duras, 1975. With an introduction and post-film discussion by Jean-Louis Pautrot, professor of French and international studies at Saint Louis University.

Saturday, April 18:

Betty Blue

7:00pm at Webster University’s Winifred Moore Auditorium. Directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix, 1986. With an introduction and post-film discussion by Andrew Wyatt, editor of and film critic for Cinema St. Louis’ The Lens and the Gateway Cinephile film blog.

Sunday, April 19:

Rider on the Rain

7:00pm at Webster University’s Winifred Moore Auditorium. Directed by René Clément, 1970. With an introduction and post-film discussion by Tom Stockman, editor of the We Are Movie Geeks website.

Friday, April 24:

Vagabond

7:30pm at Webster University’s Winifred Moore Auditorium. Directed by Agnès Varda, 1985. With an introduction and post-film discussion by Kathy Corley, documentary filmmaker and professor emerita of film at Webster University.

Saturday, April 25:

The Golden Age with Un Chien Andalou & la coquille et le clergyman

7:00pm at Webster University’s Winifred Moore Auditorium. With live accompaniment by the Rats & People Motion Picture Orchestra. With an introduction and post-film discussion by Lionel Cuillé, the Jane and Bruce Robert professor of French and Francophone studies at Webster University.

Sunday, April 26:

Vivre sa vie

7pm at Webster University’s Winifred Moore Auditorium. Directed by Jean-Luc Godard, 1962. With an introduction and post-film discussion by Pete Timmermann, director of the Webster U. Film Series and adjunct professor of film studies at Webster U.

Look for more coverage of Cinema St. Louis’ CLASSIC FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL here at We Are Movie Geeks