A Look at the Film Festival

Feb 23 through the 25 marked the weekend that DSU held The Tournees Film festival. SDSU Professor of Modern Languages and Global Studies, Marie Pierre Baggett, introduced a bit of France’s film culture to the students and teachers at DSU. All the films shown were excellent movies in both animation and inspiration. I suggest you watch a few of these, which are available on Netflix, in your spare time. They are truly wonderful and inspiring. Here are the great movies that were shown at the Tournees Film Festival.

Phantom Boy

Phantom Boy is about a boy who is sick with cancer, that can leave his body and become a “phantom”. A madman with a disfigured face threatens to destroy New York City through an internet virus if he is not given ransom in 24 hours. Leo (Phantom boy) must help a wheelchair-bound policeman named Alex to find the Mob Kingpin and stop him from destroying New York City.

My Life as a Zucchini (Ma vie de Courgette)

My Life as a Zucchini shows a little boy named Zucchini who is put in an orphanage along with several other children. He is put in this home after the passing of his mother. Zucchini must learn to trust others as well as learn the meaning of true love. This stop-motion animated film is very cute but also heartbreaking. I suggest turning off the English audio and listening to it in French with English subtitles.

The Missing Picture

The Missing Picture shows the travesties that Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge committed between 1975 and 1979. Rithy Panh uses clay figures, archival footage, and his narration to tell this story. This is more of a documentary than animation, however, it’s still remarkable.

April and the Extraordinary World

Imagine a world where electricity was never invented. The world is stuck using coal as fuel, and the air is polluted with soot. And all the world’s best scientists have mysteriously disappeared. April, the daughter of two scientists who disappeared, tries to recreate the secret serum her parents were working on. This serum would make all life indestructible. April must find her parents and the lost scientists to help the world evolve.

Louise by the Shore

An old woman named Louise is stranded in a resort on the seaside when the last train has left for the season. Louise decided to stay on the shore instead of panicking. This animated movie is similar to a Studio Ghibli film. If you enjoy movies made by Studio Ghibli, then you will enjoy this film.

Beauty and the Beast

This is the classic story we all know, without the Disney twist. This black and white movie is the original story of Beauty and the Beast. The movie was made in 1946 and directed by Jean Cocteau. Watch this movie to see the origins of the French story of Beauty and the Beast.