Set aside those Freedom Fries jokes … WWTW has been chatting up a pair of talented French filmmakers, and I’ll be posting the interviews in the coming weeks.
First up: Philippe Claudel. A true Renaissance man, Claudel is a painter, novelist and professor when he’s not writing and directing feature films. His latest, “I’ve Loved You So Long,” is an emotional drama about a woman (Kristin Scott Thomas) trying to start her life anew after a lengthy prison term. Thomas, who speaks fluent French, is garnering heavy Oscar noise for her performance — deservedly so.
Next month, WWTW chats up Laurent Cantet. The director’s latest film, “The Class,” took home the Palm d’Or at the recent Cannes Film Festival. His feature follows a dedicated school teacher trying to bring harmony, and an education, to a group of diverse and unruly students.
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I'm an award-winning journalist and film critic with more than a decade of experience in newspapers, magazines and the Web. I'm a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, the Washington, DC Area Film Critics Association and the Denver Film Critics Society.
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I am truly excited to read this! I have been a huge fan of French film since I was a 4-year French student in high school. I then went on to get a minor in French in college. However, after two years, it got tres, tres, difficult and so I changed my minor to Philosophy… because that makes so much more sense.
Anyway, can’t wait to read the interviews.
Bonne nuit!
Two really smart fellows, Heidi … hope you like the interviews. Both spoke English very well, thank goodness (for me).