APRIL – FRENCH ACTOR JEAN-PIERRE CASSEL

April 1
Paris brûle-t-il? / Is Paris Burning?
Directed by René Clément 1966

Is Paris Burning? is a 1966 Franco-American film dealing with the 1944 liberation of Paris by rival branches of the French Resistance (communist and gaullist) and the Free French Forces.

It is based on a best-selling book by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre and was directed by René Clément, from a screenplay by Gore Vidal and Francis Ford Coppola.

The film stars, among others, Kirk Douglas, Glenn Ford, Gert Fröbe, Orson Welles, Anthony Perkins, Robert Stack, Charles Boyer, Yves Montand, Leslie Caron, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Simone Signoret, Alain Delon, and Jean-Pierre Cassel.

April 8
Le Charme Discret de la Bourgeoisie / The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie
Directed by Luis Buñuel, 1972

In typical Luis Buñuel fashion, The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie surrealistically skewers the conventions of society. Buñuel applies his surrealist touch to a mundane event: a dinner party that may never come to pass. A group of well-to-do friends attempt to gather for a social evening, but are thwarted at every turn. The initial problem seems to be a simple scheduling mistake, but the obstacles become more and more bizarre.

Wicked social satire and one of Buñuel's funniest films. Winner of the Academy Award for "Best Foreign Film" in 1972.

April 15
La Truite / The Trout
Directed by Joseph Losey, 1982

This French sex farce is translated in English as ‘The Trout’. It stars Isabelle Huppert as Frédérique, a young woman living on her family's rural trout farm. Frédérique is trapped in a dull marriage to a rube. She decides to leave both him and the trout farm for the city: she wants to make her living in the financial sector. She ends up in a cutthroat corporate world and meets up with the sophisticated Lou (the legendary Jeanne Moreau). Frederique finds herself trading sexual favors for corporate advancement and becoming more deeply involved in a complicated series of business dealings. Eventually, she longs for a return to her simpler life on the trout farm.

April 22
La Cérémonie
Directed by Claude Chabrol, 1995

Adapted from the novel A Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell

La Cérémonie tells the story of an illiterate domestic servant, Sophie who has been hired by wealthy housewife Catherine. Sophie becomes friends with an erratic post office employee, Jeanne, and things begin to spiral towards violence. Chabrol presents an ambiguous view of culture and class conflict in this film, which he jokingly called "the last Marxist film."

April 29
Virgil
Directed by Mabrouk El Chefri, 2005

Each week, Virgil comes and sees his father in the jail’s visiting room, making him dream when speaking about his success on the ring.

Each week, Virgil comes and dreams when seeing a beautiful woman he meets at the same visiting room.

One week, Virgil’s father announces that he will soon be released, and will be thus able to see again his son boxing in a ring... The only problem is that Virgil has not been boxing for three years...

POETRY

Poésie d’Avril/April Poetry
Events during the whole month
@ AFB

Spring and poetry always get along well: rebirth of nature, trees in bloom, scarves and hoods back in trunks, craving for country side and week-ends at the sea…

AFB would like to offer its students, members and friends a poetic month of April with readings, writing sessions, poetry contest…

Please check your emails, our website and the posters in West Range and Khaleel Munzil to keep up to date with these activities since the exact programmation is yet to be determined.


Poetry writing contest
for students and teachers
Poems must be written in French
Deadline for submission : April 18
Information and registration : see Klervi at AFB

Exhibition
French Contemporary Poets
April 7-26
9:30 am to 5:30 pm
@ AFB Gallery

Screening
Orphée
By Jean Cocteau, 1950
April 18
6 pm
@ AFB Gallery

A poetic event
Poetry reading in French and Bengali, and results of the poetry contest…
April 25
6 pm
@ AFB Gallery.

ADDA SESSIONS

Every First and last Thursday of the month
6-8 pm
@ AFB Gallery


Join us and discuss AFB’s upcoming events and other cultural topics: talk, sing, dance, argue, share and laugh!

You are more than welcome to bring along with you any press clips or other document relating to the discussed topics…

Apr 3 Special cinema and cinema festivals

Apr 24 What was life before May 68? Discuss the 60’s

Please visit us at AFB and get more information :

Please don't forget to check this website regularly as programmes and timings are subject to change.