French breeze on silver screen

The Istanbul French Cultural Center offers a month full of cinema throughout June, screening eight award-winning films made by acclaimed directors like Xaiver Dolan, Tony Gatlif and Ashgar Farhadi



Organized by the Istanbul French Cultural Center and Başka Cinema, the program "Vive le cinema" continues in June with new films. The program is dedicated to French productions and features eight award-winning and up-to-date French films. Throughout June, the films will be screened on Saturdays, Mondays and Tuesdays at 4:30 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. sessions. Tickets can only be purchased between 2:30 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. for the sessions of the same day. Tickets for each session are TL 10 ($3.75).Atilla MarcelDirector: Sylvain ChometCast: Guillaume Gouix, Anne Le Ny, Bernadette Lafont and Helene VincentPaul, 33, lives in a Parisian apartment with his two aunts who have been taking care of him since he was two. His aunts' biggest dream is for Paul to be a piano virtuoso. Paul, who maintains a monotone life style, only plays the piano in a room where his aunts help him practice. All this changes for good when he meets Madame Proust in their apartment.When: June 6, 8, 9 and 13Les Garçons et Guillaume a table! (Me, Myself and Mum)Director: Guillaume GallienneCast: Guillaume Gallienne, Andre Marcon, Françoise Fabian and Diane Kruger A middle-class woman, Madame Gallienne, has three children. While she calls out for two of her children as "my boys," she calls her third child "Guillaume." As he grows up, Guillaume begins to picture himself not as a boy, but as a girl, or gay. How can a mother act like this? Why does she behave in such way? Through a series of incidents, Guillaume sets of on a journey to find his true identity and tries to shake off his mother's influence.When: June 1 and 6EdenDirector: Mia Hansen-LoveCast: Felix de Givry, Pauline Etienneand Vincent Macaigne Eden brings the rise and fall of a young man who worked as a DJ in Paris in the early '90s to the silver screen. Director Mia Hansen-Love takes the audience on a trip through the last 20 years of French electronic music, focusing on the real life story of French DJ Paul, who was the producer of acclaimed electronic music duo Daft Punk. With performances by Greta Gerwig, Paul Etienne and Brady Corbet, "Eden" draws attention to the importance of making mistakes and finding hope.When: June 1-2Saint LaurentCast: Gaspard Ulliel, Jeremie Renier and Louis GarrelDirector: Bertrand Bonello"Saint Laurent centers on the heyday of the renowned French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent's career starting from 1967 to 1976. "Saint Laurent" which competed for Palme d'Or at the 67th Cannes Film Festival was also nominated for César Awards in 11 different categories. When: June 2, 27, 29 and 30Le Passe (The Past)Director: Asghar FarhadiFilm cast: Berenice Bejo, Tahar Rahim and Ali MosaffaAs successful as his previous Academy Award-winning film, "A Separation," Iranian director Asghar Farhadi's "Le Passe" follows the story of Ahmad, an Iranian man who comes to Paris from Tehran to finalize his divorce with his French wife Marie after four years. Marie wants to marry her new boyfriend Samir, who cannot bear to think about Ahmad. When Ahmad finds out that Marie has a difficult relationship with her daughter from her previous marriage, Lucie, he tries to reconcile them. However, secrets are waiting to be uncovered for him.When: June 8, 13, 15, 16 and 20La Famille Belier (The Belier Family)Director: Eric LartigauFilm cast: Karin Viard, François Damiens, Eric Elmosnino and Louane EmeraPaula is the only member of the Belier Family that can hear and indispensably acts as interpreter for her deaf parents and brother every day. Shockingly, her deaf father runs in local elections for mayor. He needs Paula more than ever. Meanwhile, her music teacher discovers Paula's singing talent and encourages her to take part in a competition. The young girl is in a tight situation of whether to continue to support her family or pursue her dreams.When: June 9GeronimoDirector: Tony GatlifFilm cast: Celine Sallette, Rachid Yous, David Murgia and Vincent HeneineSet in the south of France, "Geronimo" presents a young social educator, Geronimo, who tries to reconcile the tension between the youth in the St. Pierre neighborhood in the sultry August heat. The neighborhood's atmosphere changes when Nil Terzi, a Turkish teenager escapes from an arranged marriage and runs to the arms of her gypsy lover Lucky Molina. Their escape triggers hostility between the two groups in the neighborhood. When tensions rise with musical arguments, Geronimo cannot help her, but alleviates the unrest.When: June 22, 23, 27, 29 and 30MommyDirector: Xavier DolanFilm cast: Anne Dorval, Antoine-Olivier Pilon and Suzanne ClementUpon her husband's death, Diane, 48, hospitalizes her son Steve who was diagnosed with hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder (ADHD) at a rehabilitation center. However, he is forced to leave when he sets the center's cafe on fire. Officials ask Diane to either bring her son home or to a youth detention center. His mother does not want to leave him at the detention center as she knows that he will not get better there. Diane decides to look after him herself.When: June 15, 16, 20, 22 and 23