NYC, March 3-13

The Film Society of Lincoln Center is hosting the 21st edition of Rendez-Vous with French Cinema, the celebrated annual showcase of the best in contemporary French film.

The Opening Night film is Valley of Love, Guillaume Nicloux’s film starring Gérard Depardieu and Isabelle Huppert who play real-life versions of themselves in a completely fictive scenario: as famous French actors Gérard and Isabelle, a long-divorced couple whose son Michael has committed suicide six months before in Death Valley. In an enigmatic letter sent to them some time after Michael’s death, he asks them to visit a series of sites in the area and claims he will appear before them at the end of the tour. Mixing mysticism and skepticism in equal degree, the film intrigues by asking some probing questions about the ultimate nature of reality and delights, in true, open-ended French fashion, by answering none.

For an introduction to the film, read my interview with Guillaume Nicloux taken at Cannes Film Festival 2015.

The exciting programme contains a number of other Cannes 2015-premiered films, including the Palme d’Or winner Dheepan, directed by Jacques Audiard.

My King / Mon roi
Maïwenn, France, 2015, DCP, 128m

Disorder
Alice Winocour, France/Belgium, 2015, DCP, 101m

Two Friends / Deux amis
Louis Garrel, France, 2015, DCP, 102m

Winter Song / Chant d’hiver
Otar Iosseliani, France, 2015, DCP, 117m

21 Nights with Pattie / 21 nuits avec Pattie
Jean-Marie & Arnaud Larrieu, France, 2015, DCP, 115m

The Apaches / Des Apaches
Nassim Amaouche, France, 2015, DCP, 97m

Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story)
Eva Husson, France, 2016, DCP, 98m

Dark Inclusion / Diamant noir 
Arthur Harari, France/Belgium, 2016, DCP, 115m

A Decent Man / Je ne suis pas un salaud
Emmanuel Finkiel, France, 2015, DCP, 111m

Fatima
Philippe Faucon, France, 2015, DCP, 79m

The Great Game / Le Grand jeu
Nicolas Pariser, France, 2015, DCP, 100m

Lolo
Julie Delpy, France, 2015, DCP, 99m

Much Loved
Nabil Ayouch, France/Morocco, 2015, DCP, 104m

The New Kid / Le Nouveau
Rudi Rosenberg, France, 2015, DCP, 81m

Parisienne / Peur de rien
Danielle Arbid, France, 2015, DCP, 120m

Standing Tall / La Tête haute
Emmanuelle Bercot, France, 2015, DCP, 119m

Story of Judas / Histoire de Judas
Rabah Ameur-Zaïmeche, France, 2015, DCP, 99m

Summertime / La Belle saison
Catherine Corsini, France/Belgium, 2015, DCP, 105m

Three Sisters / Les Trois soeurs
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, France, 2015, DCP, 110m