Gainsbourg
By Joann Sfar
With Eric Elmosino, Laetitia Casta, Philippe Katerine, Lucy Gordon, Anna Mouglalis, Mylène Jampanoï, Sarah Forestier
Comedy, biopic / 2010 / 2:10
www.gainsbourg-lefilm.com

It's the story, amusing and fantastic, of Serge Gainsbourg and his famous mug. It's the story of a little Jewish boy who saunters about in a Paris occupied by the Germans; of a young, timid poet who leaves behind his paintings and his room beneath the rooftops to dazzle nightclub crowds during the Swinging Sixties. It's a "heroic life" where the creatures of his mind become full-bodied on screen and his eloquence is a good match with his scandalous love affairs. From these elements arises a subversive work, with a loyal and rebellious citizen as its star who stirs up the whole world.

Prior to making the film “Gainsbourg”, Joann Sfar worked as a cartoonist and a cartoon script writer. He coauthored the series “Le chat du rabbin” which he also adapted for cinema.

Micmacs
By Jean-Pierre Jeunet
With Dany Boon, André Dussollier, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Yolande Moreau, Julie Ferrier, Omar Sy, Dominique Pinon
Drama, comedy / 2009 / 1h44 mn
Festivals:  Toronto International Film Festival 2009, Hong Kong International Film Festival 2010

A mine that explodes in the middle of the Moroccan desert and, years later, a stray bullet that lodges in his brain... Bazil hasn't had a lot of luck with weapons. The first left him an orphan, the second could cause him to die suddenly at any moment. When Bazil comes out of hospital, he finds himself without a home. As chance would have it, this gentle dreamer with an overactive imagination, is taken in by a gang of truculent vagabonds whose aspirations and talents are as diverse as they are surprising. Remington, Calculette, Fracasse, Placard, Môme Caoutchouc, Petit Pierre and Tambouille live in a veritable Ali Baba's cave. One day, when passing by two imposing buildings, Bazil recognizes the logo of the two arms manufacturers who caused his misfortunes. Assisted by his gang of crazy friends, he decides to take revenge.

After the worldwide success of the film “Amelie”, Jean-Pierre Jeunet makes a whimsical fairy-tale like comedy with characters who are misfits.

LOL
By Lisa Azuelos
With Sophie Marceau, Christa Theret, Françoise Fabian, Jérémy Kapone, Jocelyn Quivrin
Comedy / 2008 / 1:47
Award: Best Actress Monte-Carlo Comedy Film Festival 2008
Césars 2010: Most Promising Actress nomination

LOL? It means "laughing out loud" in text language. It is also the name that Lola's friends have given her. However, when it is time to go back to school after summer break, Lola doesn't feel much like laughing. Arthur, her boyfriend, provokes her by telling her that he cheated on her over the summer. And her gang of pals is very gifted at complicating matters. Just like her mother, Anne, with whom life has become impossible, and not only because she has no idea what LOL means. That her parents have divorced is one thing, but that Anne treats her teenage daughter like a child, by lying to her about basic things — like the fact that she is still seeing her ex-partner on the sly, or that a cop is interested in her — is another. As for Anne, she wonders what on earth has happened to her sweet little daughter. From fusion to confusion, mother-daughter relationships simmer with love and plenty of LOL.

Impressed with the success in France of Lisa Azuelos's film “LOL”, the American actress Demi Moore wanted to acquire its rights to adapt the film for the US.

The Girl from Monaco
By Anne Fontaine

With Fabrice Luchini, Roschdy Zem, Louise Bourgoin, Stéphane Audran, Gilles Cohen, Jeanne Balibar
Drama / 2008 / 1:35
Césars 2009: Best Supporting Actor, Most Promising Actress

A brilliant and neurotic attorney goes to Monaco to defend a seventy-year-old criminal. But, instead of focusing on the case, he falls for a beautiful she-devil who turns him into a complete wreck... Hopefully, his zealous bodyguard will step in and put everything back in order... Or will he?

A ballerina by training, Anne Fontaine started acting in cinema in the 1980s. Her first feature film “Love affairs usually end badly” was released in 1992.

Spy(ies)
By Nicolas Saada
With Guillaume Canet, Géraldine Pailhas, Stephen Rea, Hippolyte Girardot
Thriller / 2009 / 1:39
Césars 2010: Best First Work nomination

Vincent, a brilliant young man, has not taken the royal path that his studies laid out for him. Instead, he works as a baggage handler at an airport. When checking a diplomatic pouch, his colleague Gérard is killed by the explosion of a perfume bottle. Vincent surprises the bag's owner, a Syrian, picking up his luggage. The French counterintelligence agency, the DST, obliges Vincent to accept a deal in exchange for his collaboration with the French and British secret services in catching the men implicated in the explosion, he won't be taken to court for the robberies he's committed while baggage handling. The investigation leads Vincent to London, where he must get near a British businessman, Peter Burton, who is linked to the Syrian agents. The DST and MI5 suggest that Vincent should seduce Burton's wife, Claire, a Frenchwoman with a fragile personality, so as to manipulate and get her to betray her husband. Unsettled by the challenges of the mission, Vincent soon becomes entangled in his emotions.

The first film made by Nicolas Saada, “Spy(ies)” was nominated at the Césars 2010 for the Best First film.

Two Ladies
By Philippe Faucon
With Sabrina Ben Abdallah, Ariane Jacquot, Zohra Mouffok
Drama / 2008 / 1:13
Festivals: Rotterdam International Film Festival 2008, San Francisco International Film Festival 2008, Belgrade International Film Festival 2008

Esther, an elderly Jewish lady, needs constant home care. But her bad moods wear out her home nurses, and the latest has just quit her job. Elie, Esther's son, no longer knows what to do. Selima, the day nurse, offers her mother's services. Halima is a practicing Muslim. Against all expectations, a real bond forms between the two women. Halima knows how to make Esther appreciate and respect her. Full of energy, she gives Esther a new taste for life.

Born in Morocco and student of the Aix-en-Provence University, Philippe Faucon often uses North Africa and Southern France as the backdrop for his films.

The True Story of Puss'n Boots
By Jérôme Deschamps, Pascal Hérold, Macha Makeieff
Animated film / 2009 / 1:20
Festivals: Montreal International Festival of New Cinema 2009

When Little Peter's father dies, the young miller inherits a strange cat that speaks like a human and wears boots that seem to give him magical powers. This smooth-talking cat also sings and dances, and he will do all that he can so that his young master can win the heart of Princess Manon, with whom he is madly in love. But along the way, they encounter the King's dastardly chamberlain and his horrible hunchback, along with a nasty ogre who is not at all a pretty sight.

A freewheeling adaptation of Charles Perrault's tale, “The true story of Puss'n Boots” is the result of the work three people from different backgrounds: Jérôme Deschamps from 3D, Pascal Hérold from writing and production and Macha Makeieff from the theater.

Mademoiselle Chambon
By Stéphane Brizé
With Vincent Lindon, Sandrine Kiberlain, Aure Atika, Jean-Marc Thibault, Arthur Le Houérou
Drama / 2009 / 1:41
Césars 2010: Best Writing Adaptation

Festivals: Pusan International Film Festival 2009, Istanbul International Film Festival 2010, Hong Kong International Film Festival 2010

Jean is an upstanding man: a good builder, a good son, a good father, and a good husband. In his ordinary, placid life, divided between family and work, he crosses paths with Mademoiselle Chambon, his son's teacher. He is a man of few words, she comes from a different world. They become overwhelmed by the obviousness of their feelings.

After the international success of the film “Not here to be loved”, director Stéphane Brizé rediscovers the subtlety and elegance of the art of script writing by adapting Eric Holder's highly successful novel.

The girl on the train
By André Téchiné
With Emilie Dequenne, Catherine Deneuve, Michel Blanc, Ronit Elkabetz, Mathieu Demy, Nicolas Duvauchelle
Drama / 2008 / 1:45
Festivals: London International Film Festival 2009, Shanghai International Film Festival 2009

Jeanne lives in a house in the suburbs with her mother Louise. The two women get on well together. Louise earns her living by looking after children. Jeanne is half-heartedly looking for a job. One day, while checking job offers on the Internet, Louise believes that fate has come knocking at her door.

She harbours the hope of getting her daughter a job with Samuel Bleistein, a famous lawyer whom she knew in her youth. Jeanne's and Bleistein's worlds are light years apart. However, they'll be set on a collision course because of an incredible lie that Jeanne puts together. The film is a story of this lie that will become the biggest news and political story of recent times.

The inspiration for André Téchiné's latest film “The girl on the train” was one of the most hyped and politicized French human interest stories.

Tomorrow at dawn
By Denis Dercourt
With Vincent Perez, Jérémie Rénier, Aurélien Recoing, Anne Marivin, Françoise Lebrun, Gérald Laroche
Drama / 2009 / 1:40
Festivals: Cannes Film Festival / Un certain regard nomination 2009, Montreal International Festival of New Cinema 2009, Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival 2009

A story about the relationship between two brothers. The youngest of the two is obsessed by historic battles, to the point of being cut off from reality and only existing through role-playing games. Mathieu, the oldest, following his mother's request, tries to entice Paul away from this mysterious and secret world, where the border between game and reality doesn't always exist. To manage to do so, he has no other choice than to also enter into the game...

An ardent lover of music, Denis Dercourt, who was an alto solo in the French Symphony orchestra before becoming a filmmaker, once again has a pianist character as a leading role in “Tomorrow at dawn”.