Presented with the Department of Languages whose French language programs aim at helping students acquire fluency in French through grammar, phonetics, and other fundamental skills, as well as through the study of French and Francophone cultures and literatures.

All screenings are held in Building 41, Room A-03 on the university campus at 4200 Connecticut Avenue at Van Ness. FREE and Open to the public. Refreshments served.

All films are introduced by cultural experts and faculty and followed by a Q&A session.

A rash of deaths in a West African village leads to a beautiful young dancer being exiled to a mysterious community of witches. Based on a true story, this award winning mother-daughter tale focuses on the injustice of some traditional African practices and women’s struggle for equality. “Delwende combines aspects of Greek tragedy with a critical eye toward the misuse of tradition” (Jay Weissberg, Vanity). Delwende favorably evokes the films of Ousmane Sembene and Idrissa Ouedraogo. Winner of the 2005 Cannes Film Festival’s Regard Hope Award.

Oct 29: 2:00-5:00pm & 6:30-9:30pm

Mocktar, a Nigerian peasant, goes to a gold mine in Burkina Faso to look for work and forget the past that haunts him and discovers that the gold rush ended twenty years earlier. As he falls in love with the beautiful Coumba, Mocktar fights to survive and to provide a better future for her and her child. Deborah Young writes that the film “relies on hypnotic widescreen photography to bind viewers to its grim drama. Striking cinematography connects the film to a broad African vision (Variety).”
Nominated for the 2007 Sundance Grand Jury Award.

Nov 5 & 6: 2:00-5:00pm

A taut, compelling thriller about an Eastern European immigrant who works for a drug-addicted couple anxiously awaiting a letter that promises an opportunity to get rich. The letter, containing train tickets and instructions, leads Sebastien on a nail biting thrill-ride where he quickly realizes that there is no such thing as easy money. Sebastien tests his luck in a deadly game of Russian Roulette; winner takes all. Winner of both Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize and the European Film Awards’ European Discovery of the Year

Nov 10:12:00-3:00pm; Nov 25: 6:30-9:30pm

Georges and his wife Anne are living a perfect life of modern comfort and security. One day, their world is disrupted when they receive a videotape from an anonymous source. As more disturbingly violent and personal tapes arrive, the walls of security around them begin to crumble. Georges launches his own investigation and secrets from his past are revealed. A masterful psychological thriller that masterfully brings the viewer into the story, Caché is a searing commentary on France’s bourgeoisie. Best Director Award, Cannes Film Festival (2005) and Best Foreign Language Film, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards (2005).

Nov 19: 2:00-5:00pm; Nov 20: 4:00-7:00pm

Lili, a French photographer, accepts an assignment to photograph a remote village in the Senegalese desert. Unwed and unmarried, she is seen as an oddity and so when she returns to Normandy, something has shifted and she has a hard time resuming her past life and must deal with the unsettling sensation that Africa has left her with and the friendship she seeks to maintain. “Faithful to reality, without pathos or political posturing, ‘Lili and the Baobab’ lets its images and its story do the talking” (Julie Deh, Fluctuat.net).

Dec 8: 6:30-9:30pm; Dec 10: 6:30-9:30pm