A small revolution for African films in programming

This year, the Festival des 3 Continents integrated several African films, something “unprecedented” according to its artistic director: “ An important place was given to Africa because apart from Specter of Boko Haram by Cyrielle Raingou which was in competition, there were five other films that passed the official selection. […]. This is unprecedented for us because among the films we receive, the ratio of African films is much lower than other regions of the world. “. Among the 1,000 films viewed by the festival’s program team, almost 7% this year came from the African continent.

Credit to Senegalese filmmaker Safi Faye

“ Despite the prominent position she occupies as a pioneer and spearhead of women in African cinema, her work has always received little attention. »

The tribute to Senegalese filmmaker Safi Faye will present a selection of eight films: “ Perhaps for many of us it will be a discovery that Safi Faye’s work. » explains Jérôme Baron. “ Despite the prominent position she occupies as a pioneer and spearhead of women in African cinema, her work has always received little attention. » he noted. In this program, we can see the presence of his latest film Mossan, which he considered the only fictional film in his body of work. He tells the story of a Senegalese teenager from the village of Mbissel who refused to marry the man his parents promised him. The tribute to Safi Faye will conclude with Cinema lessons with Safi Fayerecorded interview with a Senegalese director during the Créteil film festival, hosted by director and co-founder Jackie Buet, as a guest at the event.

2023 3 Continents Festival Poster

A retrospective dedicated to Hong Kong director Ann Hui

Another important retrospective in its 45th edition is devoted to the work of Hong Kong filmmaker Ann Hui. This last film is considered one of the pioneers of the “New Wave” of Hong Kong cinema in the early 1980s. A retrospective of twelve films retracing the director’s career will be presented. As Jérôme Baron explains: “ We will be able to explore Ann Hui’s work almost from its beginning, namely the turn of the 80s, since after working for television she shot her first fiction film for cinema in 1979. “.

19 films tracing the history of Vietnamese cinema from the 1970s to the present

The festival program also hosts a An anthology of Vietnamese cinema with nearly 19 films spanning the period from the early 1970s to the late 90s. To complement this anthology, festival screenings will be held Dust & metal, a feature-length documentary film made with archival footage that tells the story of Vietnam past and present, moving away from Hollywood’s stereotypical depiction of the American-Vietnamese War. “ The films we will show are in some ways the antithesis of Vietnamese cinema. » according to Jérôme Baron.

Focus on Indian cinema idol Amitabh Bachchan

The festival also honors renowned Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan, a true idol of cinema in India, explained the artistic director of 3 Continents. “ He is almost a myth in his country, […] it is very difficult to walk 500 meters on a highway in India without seeing a portrait of the actor designated by The Times at the turn of the 2000s as the Star of the Millennium. “. Among the actor’s cult films screened during the retrospective, we can recall Sholay “ perhaps one of the most watched films in the world since its release in 1975, we surpassed the billion-viewer mark for Sholay » explains Jérôme Baron. Shweta Bachchan Nanda, the actor’s daughter, was also invited to the festival to showcase one of her father’s first films. Pride (Abhimaan in Hindi). Without forgetting documentaries True Superstar, directed by Frenchman Cédric Dupire. According to the artistic director of the festival, this is a very interesting film: “ A documentary without any commentary that uses raw sound from the film and that recasts a large number of quotes from Bachchan for transcription […] actor legend. “.
A selection of thematic films entitled The Winds of Time as well as programs dedicated to young audiences will also be presented during the ten days dedicated to African, Asian and Latin American cinema.

Discover our first article about the 3 Continents Festival program: “ The 3 Continents Festival introduces a rich program for its 45th edition » . Complete information about the festival, which we remind you will start on November 24, can be seen here Here.