French Film Festival 19': 2 Movie Reviews and 3 Movies to Look Out For
Augustman Logo
Style
Culture
Gear
Food & Drink
Travel
Wellness
AM Select
E-Magazine
Most Trending
French Film Festival 2019: We Review 2 Movies And Suss Out 3 Others
Most Recent
French Film Festival 2019: We Review 2 Movies And Suss Out 3 Others
Most Trending
Breitling’s Chronomat Women’s Collection Pays Tribute To Trailblazing Ladies Of Southeast Asia
Most Recent
Burberry Campaigns In The Woods For Spring/Summer 2021
  • Fashion
  • Watches
  • Grooming
Most Trending
Here Are the 10 Most Googled Homes In The World
Most Recent
This New Exhibition Features A Visual Record Of COVID-19 In Singapore
  • Design
  • Events
  • Art
  • Music
  • Film & TV
Most Trending
Michelin Aims To Make Its Tires Fully Sustainable By 2050
Most Recent
Porsche Levels Up The Electric Game With The New Taycan Cross Turismo
  • Tech
  • Motoring
Most Trending
How To Get A Free Guinness This St. Patrick’s Day
Most Recent
Bvlgari Collaborates with Dom Pérignon For an Exclusive Champagne
  • Dining
  • Drinks
Most Trending
These Are Asia’s Most Stunning Mangrove Forests
Most Recent
The New Air France In-Flight Safety Video Will Make You Miss Paris And Flying
  • Travel Guides
  • Hotels & Resorts
Most Trending
Amp Up Your Home Gym With These Designer Fitness Equipment
Most Recent
How To Overcome “Zoom Fatigue” From Having Too Many Virtual Meetings
  • Fitness
  • Health
Most Trending
Uncover Mindful Living with AUGUSTMAN x LIFESTYLEASIA
Most Recent
Social Entrepreneur Josh Tetrick of Eat Just Talks Sustainability And The Future of Food
  • Men of the Year
  • MVMT
  • August Mentors
  • A-Listers
  • Hit List
  • sg
    • MY
    • SG
  • Search
French Film Festival 2019: We Review 2 Movies And Suss Out 3 Others
Sort & Filter
Close Filter
Sort By
Date
Relevance
Filter By Category
All Categories
All
Style
Culture
Gear
Food & Drink
Travel
Wellness
AM Select
Apply
Filter By Location
singapore
All Countries
Culture
This New Exhibition Features A Visual Record Of COVID-19 In Singapore
Culture
Here Are the 10 Most Googled Homes In The World
Culture
Zara Larsson And IKEA Team Up For International Women’s Day Online Concert
Augustman Logo
sg
French Film Festival 2019: We Review 2 Movies And Suss Out 3 Others
Back
All  Style
  • Fashion
  • Watches
  • Grooming
Back
All  Culture
  • Design
  • Events
  • Art
  • Music
  • Film & TV
Back
All  Gear
  • Tech
  • Motoring
Back
All  Food & Drink
  • Dining
  • Drinks
Back
All  Travel
  • Travel Guides
  • Hotels & Resorts
Back
All  Wellness
  • Fitness
  • Health
Back
All  AM Select
  • Men of the Year
  • MVMT
  • August Mentors
  • A-Listers
  • Hit List
E-Magazine
  • Malaysia
  • Singapore
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
Sort & Filter
Close Filter
Sort By
Date
Relevance
Filter By Category
All Categories
All
Style
Culture
Gear
Food & Drink
Travel
Wellness
AM Select
Apply
Filter By Location
singapore
All Countries
Culture

French Film Festival 2019: We Review 2 Movies And Suss Out 3 Others

Lester Tan
25 Oct 2019
Article Hero Image
A still from opening film 'Made In China' | From left: François' younger brother, father, and François himself.
Trending Now
This New Exhibition Features A Visual Record Of COVID-19 In Singapore
CultureRead More
How To Overcome “Zoom Fatigue” From Having Too Many Virtual Meetings
WellnessRead More
Burberry Campaigns In The Woods For Spring/Summer 2021
StyleRead More
Porsche Levels Up The Electric Game With The New Taycan Cross Turismo
GearRead More
Here's your ticket to incisive commentary and insights from the celebrity sphere. Sign up for our newsletter.

In addition to the Voilah! France Singapore Festival, Francophiles can look forward to the 35th edition of the Singapore French Film Festival (FFF) happening 4 to 17 November.

Julien Abraham’s Made In China opens this year’s festival, which has lined up a slew of films that all celebrate French storytelling across genres. An interesting new feature is “the Sexy Section”. This highlights the emergence of empowered women as protagonists in cinema. We catch two of the 27 films, as well as flag out three others, to give you an idea of what’s on offer.

movie review: Made in china
French Film Festival 19', 'Made In China': François trying to speak to his father his cousin's wedding.
François (left) trying to speak to his father (right) during his cousin’s wedding.

Set in one of the four Chinatowns in France, Made In China follows French-Chinese photographer, François (played by actor Frédéric Chau), as he attempts to reconnect with the family he had left 10 years ago after falling out with his father. It is also about how he learns to accept his own identity as a Chinese in France.

French Film Festival 19', 'Made In China': François speaking to his best friend, Bruno.
François speaking to his best friend, Bruno.I

I like that Made In China is an underdog film. It may be underrated because of its conventional storyline and portrayal of Asians, but these were ultimately what allowed Abraham to focus on speaking about deeper issues. In this case, it’s the racism and discrimination that French-Chinese people face.

In 2016, two French-Chinese, a 22-year-old student and a 49-year-old businessman, were robbed and killed. Like the Charlie Hebdo protests of 2015, this incident sparked the Je-Suis Chaolin protest by the Chinese community. Chau, in fact, appeared in one of the anti-racism films, which makes his presence in the film rather fitting.

Slideshow Image
François and his wife, Sophie.
Slideshow Image
François getting nagged at by his grandmother.
Slideshow Image
François and his wife, Sophie.
Slideshow Image
François getting nagged at by his grandmother.
1 2

Through humour and sarcasm, Made In China shows what racism looks like in France. The standout instances are the French-Chinese’s incomprehensible accent, the French classifying Chinese food as inedible, the French-Chinese wanting a full French name to ensure better job prospects, and the “low-end” jobs in the economy belonging to the French-Chinese.

These are countered by the love and acceptance of François’ wife Sophie and best friend Bruno. Abraham’s point is that we don’t need  an utopian society for the French and French-Chinese to live together harmoniously.

“There’s no place like home” is also a subtext in Abraham’s film. It is home, in Chinatown, where François finds the acceptance of who he  is, despite having achieved little as an urban photographer. Beyond the representation of traditional Asian values, like filial piety and respect for the elderly, Abraham also added a scene where François’ grandmother sings Mo Li Hua, a Mandarin folk song. The significance of this lies in the fact that the French accept the jasmine flower, despite its Chinese origins. Why not also accept the Chinese, it asks.

Festival Screening Dates: 10 and 17 November at Shaw Lido, and 5 November at Alliance Française.

In Theatres: 28 November

movie review: pure as snow
French Film Festival 19', 'Pure As Snow': Claire with her stepmother Maud at a picnic in a forest.
Claire with her stepmother Maud at a picnic in a forest.

Although there have been many retellings of the Snow White story, director Anne Fontaine has scored a first by portraying the titular character as an empowered modern woman. Fontaine’s Snow White, renamed Claire, is aware of her own beauty, and takes charge of her own life.

Slideshow Image
Claire's seven "dwarves" visiting her at the hospital.
Slideshow Image
Claire lying on the hospital bed.
Slideshow Image
Claire's seven "dwarves" visiting her at the hospital.
Slideshow Image
Claire lying on the hospital bed.
1 2

Played by actress Lou de Laâge, Claire certainly possesses the “sins” author Mona Eltahawy wrote about in The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls. She does what it takes to thrive and has no qualms about making her ideas and wishes known, not barring her sexual needs even. She is thus, an embodiment not only of self-empowerment, but also sexual freedom and dominance.

Pure As Snow also touches on the idea of new masculinity. Gone are the days when men conform to the cultural ideals of masculinity to be deemed attractive. The film suggests how men might want to be frail, sensitive, geeky, and how these traits can too make them attractive.

Festival Screening Dates: 8 November at Shaw Lido, and 15 November at Alliance Française.

In Theatres: 19 December

3 movies to look out for
La Belle Époque
French Film Festival 19': Movie poster of La Belle Époque
Movie poster of La Belle Époque

La Belle Époque is about a jaded cartoonist being offered the chance to travel back to a time of his choice. And he chose to head back to the week he met the love of his life, his wife. Unlike The Time Travellers’ Wife and About Time, director Nicholas Bedos’ premise on time-traveling focuses on the present, but instead, uses virtual reality (VR) to recreate scenarios and remind the cartoonist, as well as ourselves, why he fell in love with his wife in the first place.

Festival Screening Dates: 9 and 17 November at Shaw Lido, and 16 November at Alliance Française.

In Theatres: 28 November

The Specials, Hors Normes
French Film Festival 19': Movie poster of The Specials.
Movie poster of The Specials.

If you recall how actress Sandra Bullock struck a chord with the audience with her performance in The Blind Side, the Cannes Film Festival selected film The Specials will do just the same. This film follows the journey of two middle-aged men going all out to meet the needs of different young adults from the underprivileged areas of France as their main caregiver.
Festival Screening Dates: 10 and 14 November at Shaw Lido, and 15 November at Alliance Française.

In Theatres: 5 December

High Life
French Film Festival 19': Movie poster of High Life.
Movie poster of High Life.

Prior to The Lighthouse and the news of The Batman, I was only able to associate actor Robert Pattinson to the Twilight series. So it came as a surprise when Pattinson gave a gripping performance in High Life. It might be an overused plot of living in space, but director Claire Denis’ film is about a group of criminals being sent to live in space as a rehabilitation process. Little did they know, they were also used as experiment subjects and heading towards the Black Hole, as a form of the death sentence without a proper trial.
Festival Screening Dates: 10 and 15 November at Shaw Lido, and 9 November at Alliance Française.
For ticketing information, visit here.

Culture
Movies
events
review
Lester Tan
Lester is into films, food and basically anything culture related under the sun.
Talk to Me About:

Up Next For You

Streaming In March: The Hottest Shows And Big Premieres To Catch This Month
Richard Augustin
Culture
I’ll Be Back: Netflix Is Making A Terminator Anime Series
Richard Augustin
Culture
Mattel Has A Life-Sized Floating Baby Yoda Up For Auction
Richard Augustin
Culture
Where To Find Upcycled Furniture And Homeware In Singapore
Multiple Authors
Culture
Here's your ticket to incisive commentary and insights from the celebrity sphere. Sign up for our newsletter.
×
Where are you?
Tell us so we can display what you want to see.
  • Malaysia
  • Singapore
Malaysia Singapore
Advertise About Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions
© 2021 Copyright Augustman