Ernest & Celestine 
Feb. 12 @ 5* & 8 PM / Feb. 13 @ 2 PM
*presented by Professor Andrew Cooper, Film and Digital Media Studies, University of Louisville

This utterly charming animated film about an interspecies friendship is based on a series of children’s books by the Belgian author-illustrator Gabrielle Vincent (1929–2000) and comes from the makers of Triplets of Belleville and Secret of Kells. In an unnamed French city, two different realms of sworn enemies exist: Above ground live bears; below it reside mice. Celestine, a wee mouse orphan who is being trained for a career in dentistry but dreams of being an artist instead, meets a kindred spirit in adult Ernest, an ursine musician whom she convinces not to eat her. They seal their bond by breaking into a candy store together and soon find themselves on the lam from those who are appalled by their amity. These unlikely friends set up their own home in the woods, delighting in both their similarities and differences. The detailed, warm, hand-drawn animation emphasizes the tender companionship between a mouse who loves to sketch and a bear who is happiest when playing a violin. See the trailer here.

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University of Louisville’s French Film Fest with a different award-winning film shown for free each week. The films offered include classics, animation, documentary, comedy and drama. The 5 p.m. showing of each film will be followed by a conversation with a subject matter expert TBA.

*Screenings at 5 PM & 8 PM on Thursdays & 2 PM on Fridays

All films are in French, with English subtitles.
*The 5 p.m. screenings will include post-film discussions with local experts on French-speaking cultures and film studies.