One more year, the Instituto Francés of Madrid proposes a programme with several projections, all at 22 hours, in its high outdoor patio during the month of July. On this occasion, 6 films will be screened in French version with subtitles in Spanish. The Café of the Institute will be open to the public on this occasion until 22 hours, offering early dinners, quiches, cheese tables, cocktails, etc.
The cycle will begin next Wednesday with La grande fête (pictured), by Gerard Oury, one of the most beloved and successful comedies in the history of French cinema. Starring the legendary duo Louis de Funès and Bourvil, this film has become a true cultural icon for its intelligent humor, fast-paced rhythm and endearing humanity.
Alain Berbérian’s Cannes, the city of fear, will be screened on Friday 4 July. The film is set during the Cannes Film Festival, and mixes the glamour of cinema with a completely crazy humor. The story revolves around Odile Deray, a translator in charge of promoting a horror film series Z (Red is Dead)… that no one wants to see. But when a mysterious killer begins to kill, one by one, the film’s projectionists, the media scandal causes interest in the film to grow. Then enters the scene Serge Karamazov, a pathetic and clumsy bodyguard, and the madness begins.
On Wednesday 9 July, it is the turn of Cédric Kahn’s Making Of, a funny metacinematic comedy-drama that immerses us in the chaotic and often contradictory world of film shooting. The story follows Simon, a committed director who is filming a social film about workers’ struggle. But soon, what goes on behind the scenes becomes as conflictual as the story it tries to tell: tensions between the actors, budget problems, an absent producer, striking technicians, colliding egos… and all this while a young making-of filmmaker discreetly records the whole process, capturing the cracks between art, ideology and reality.
On Thursday 10 July, Yolanda Moreau’s The Poet’s Bride will be screened. In this poetic and melancholic comedy, we meet Mireille, a lonely and eccentric woman who inherits an old house full of history. The screening will be preceded by a DJ set of John Parm from 19h30 to 22h, to start the evening with outdoor music.
Friday, July 11, screening of Toni, en famille by Nathan Ambrosioni, a film that celebrates family ties, unconditional love and the complexity of motherhood. The film stars Camille Cottin in one of the most moving roles of her career. The story revolves around Toni, a single mother of five children, who at the age of 43 begins to wonder what has become of her own dreams. Formerly a promising singer, Toni left her career behind to devote herself entirely to raising her children, each with their own personality and conflicts. The film begins at a time of change: her children begin to leave the nest, and Toni faces a question that many mothers avoid for years: who am I outside of motherhood?
Finally, on Friday 18 July the unforgettable classic She, I and the other by Claude Sautet will be screened, where what appears to be a conventional love triangle becomes a complex and human portrait of feelings, jealousy, nostalgia and unexpected friendship.
This film mixes romance, drama and a spark of comedy. Starring Romy Schneider as Rosalie, with Yves Montand (César) and Sami Frey (David), it tells the story of an unconventional love triangle. Rosalie is a divorced mother who divides her life between her daughter, the stability that gives her Caesar (a prosperous trader) and the passion that awakens the more bohemian David. Her inability to decide becomes the focus of the story, exploring not only her emotions but also the complex relationships between men who love her.
