The French Minister / Quai d’Orsay
Feb. 19 @ 5* & 8 PM / Feb. 20 @ 2 PM
*presented by Professor Matthieu Dalle, Department of Classical and Modern Languages, University of Louisville

Doors slam and papers fly in this off-the-wall comedy about French politics directed by master filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier (The Princess of Montpensier). Tavernier's blistering assault - based on the award-winning graphic novel by Abel Lanzac, a former government speech writer - zeroes in on fictional Minister of Foreign Affairs AlexandreTaillard de Vorms (a tour-de-force comic performance by Thierry Lhermitte). A human whirlwind and a man confident in France's importance on the world stage, de Vorms takes on American neo-cons, corrupt Russians and the opportunistic Chinese while his hapless speech writer (Raphael Personnaz) endures the eccentricities of his megalomaniacal boss and his sycoph antic entourage. In the vein of recent political comedies such as In the Loop, The French Minister is a hilarious send-up of diplomacy and international politics with rapid-fire dialogue and a brilliant ensemble cast. 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.