Vive le cinéma! _{by Isabella Smith}

The L’Oréal Groupe French Film Festival Aotearoa returns to Te Whanganui-a-Tara screens this June, bringing another compelling lineup of hand-selected French films that audiences fall in love with year after year.

Running from the 3^rd to the 28^th, some highlights of the festival include The Richest Woman In The World, directed by Thierry Klifa, depicting a modern-day scandal that captivated the French nation involving the L’Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt; The Stranger, François Ozon’s adaptation of Albert Camus’ 1948 absurdist novel about a young expatriate on trial for murder in 1930s French-colonised Algeria; Eric Besnard’s Jean Valjean that charts the origin story of the protagonist of Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables; and the opening night’s Colours of Time from Cédric Klapisch, where four estranged cousins are reunited by the unexpected inheritance of a house in Normandy, blending 19^th century Belle Époque France with present day themes around identity and legacy.

Festival director Fergus Grady says, “We’re seeing audiences really embrace the festival experience, coming back multiple times and trusting the programme to deliver something special each visit. This year’s lineup continues that tradition, with something for everyone to discover.”

With French box office hits, Cannes favourites, and award-winning talent, including Pierre Niney in Guru and Angelina Jolie in Couture, June will see packed-out theatres and captivated audiences getting a taste of the best that French film has to offer. Vive le cinéma!