Happiness comes with Sophie Marceau

The Societe Generale Private Banking 2nd Rendezvous with French Cinema was very happily opened at The Cathay last evening by ever so gorgeous Sophie Marceau who lead a French cinematic delegation here for the film festival down the red carpet. Sophie, probably best known locally for her roles in Braveheart (1995) and in the James Bond movie, The World Is Not Enough (1999), was there to open the 5 day film festival with her latest movie, Happiness Never Comes Alone (Un bonheur n’arrive jamais seul), in which she gives a delightful performance as a twice divorced mother of three.

The ever so gorgeous Sophie Marceau, known to local audiences for her roles in Braveheart (1995) and the James Bond movie, The World Is Not Enough (1999) opened the film festival last evening.

Ms Marceau also spoke briefly at a media conference earlier in the day at Raffles Hotel, during which she likened cinema to an orchid. She mentioned recently learning that orchids required no earth to grow in just a support to present as a gift and for its beauty to be appreciated, and felt that the same could be said for cinema, requiring only a place for it to be seen and appreciated. Ms Marceau also added that she felt that Singapore, being a link between West and East, is the right place for that and for cinema to grow.

The red carpet laid in front of The Cathay for the opening.

In taking questions, Ms Marceau revealed why the role in Happiness Never Comes Alone had appealed to her, one in which she portrays a successful woman, seemingly perfect on the outside but one with human frailties which is depicted rather humourously. The movie, she feels was one that through its depiction of two very different people falling in love, speaks very much about love and what it is about, about its struggles and the strength which the two people in love draw from each other. Asked, with reference to the character she plays in the movie who falls in love at first sight, on whether she believed in love at first sight, she replied that in love, everything is possible and that cinema is in fact inspired by reality.

Ms Marceau on the red carpet.

On the subject of love, it will certainly not be hard to fall in love with French Cinema with what both Mr Antoine de Clermont-Tonnerre, Chairman, UNIFRANCE and Mr Olivier Gougeon, Regional Chief Executive Officer – Asia Pacific; who both spoke ahead of Ms Marceau at the media conference, described as the diverse selection of French films, on offer. The opening movie, which also made a South-East Asian debut, is certainly one to enjoy, and even with my reliance on English subtitles to follow the dialogue, a lot of the humour wasn’t lost which made the movie one that I thoroughly enjoyed sitting through. Happiness Never Comes Alone is one of thirteen films which will be shown through the festival which ends on 9 December 2012. Films will be screened at The Cathay Cineplexes and the Alliance Française Theatre (Children of Paradise / Les Enfants du Paradis will be screened at a Special Screening Venue, the National Museum of Singapore Cinemathique). Ticket are available at $12 each ($11 for Alliance Française de Singapour members for those screened at the Alliance Française Theatre. More information on the schedule can be found below and at the festival’s website (which will go live on 14 November 2012).

Ms Marceau with Mr Olivier Gougeon, Regional Chief Executive Officer – Asia Pacific; His Excellency Olivier Caron, the French Ambassador to Singapore; and Mr Antoine de Clermont-Tonnerre, Chairman, UNIFRANCE.

Ms Fleur-Lise Heuet (centre).

---

About Happiness Never Comes Alone

Happiness Never Comes Alone tells of a love story between two people who are made for each other despite having nothing in common. Sacha (Gad Elmaleh) is a talented jazz pianist who does not take life too seriously. He loves his friends, his piano and to party. At night, he plays in a jazz club and enjoys the company of the young women he meets. He lives for the moment, looking for pleasure, with no responsibility, no family, and no taxes. Sacha’s carefree life comes to a halt when he accidentally meets a forty-something career woman named Charlotte (Sophie Marceau) one rainy afternoon. Sacha soon discovers that Charlotte has three children, not to mention a jealous soon-to-be ex-husband who runs the multinational company they both work for. Sacha and Charlotte may appear to have nothing in common, but they somehow may just be made for each other.

---

About Sophie Marceau

Starting out in the movie industry at the young age of 14, Sophie Marceau achieved popularity with her debut films La Boum (1980) and La Boum 2 (1982). In 1983, she received a César Award for Most Promising Actress. She is known internationally for her roles in the movie Braveheart (1995) and the James Bond thriller, The World Is Not Enough (1999). With a string of film successes behind her, Sophie Marceau’s presence at the Societe Generale Private Banking 2nd Rendezvous With French Cinema signals the growing importance of Singapore and other Southeast Asian markets to the French cinema industry.

---

Societe Generale Private Banking 2nd Rendezvous with French Cinema Film Schedule

The Cathay

Wed 5 Dec 8:15 pm Happiness Never Comes Alone (Un Bonheur n’arrive jamais seul)
Thu 6 Dec 7:00 pm Armed Hands (Mains Armées)
Thu 6 Dec 9:30 pm Intouchables
Fri 7 Dec 7:00 pm Amour
Fri 7 Dec 9:15 pm The Other Son (Le Fils de l’Autre)
Fri 7 Dec 9:45 pm Gang Story
Sat 8 Dec 3:30 pm The Dandelions (Du Vent dans mes Mollets)
Sat 8 Dec 5:20 pm Day of the Crows (Le Jour des Corneilles)
Sat 8 Dec 7:40 pm My Lucky Star (Ma bonne étoile)
Sat 8 Dec 9:15 pm Rust and Bone
Sun 9 Dec 1:00 pm What’s In A Name (Le Prénom)
Sun 9 Dec 9:15 pm Happiness Never Comes Alone (Un Bonheur n’arrive jamais seul)
Sun 9 Dec 9:30 pm Elles

Alliance Française de Singapour

Thu 6 Dec 6:00 pm The Other Son (Le Fils de l’Autre)
Thu 6 Dec 9:00 pm Gang Story (Les Lyonnaise)
Fri 7 Dec 6:00 pm My Lucky Star (Ma bonne étoile)
Fri 7 Dec 8:45 pm Intouchables
Sat 8 Dec 1:00 pm The Day of the Crows (Le Jour des Corneilles)
Sat 8 Dec 3:45 pm Armed Hands (Mains Armées)
Sat 8 Dec 6:15 pm Amour
Sat 8 Dec 9:00 pm What’s In A Name (Le Prénom)

---

---

Advertisement

A second rendezvous

Having been treated to a host of some wonderful French films at a first rendezvous with French Cinema last December, including the opening movie, the fabulous Michel Hazanavicius silent movie The Artist, which made waves at the Oscars, more treats await French cinema fans this year at a second rendezvous. The festival is back as the Societe Generale Private Banking 2nd Rendezvous With French Cinema which will run from 5 to 9 December 2012. A total of 12 films will be screened at two venues – The Cathay as well as the Alliance Française de Singapour.

Ms Linda Black opening the Societe Generale Private Banking 2nd Rendezvous with French Cinema’s press conference yesterday.

This year’s festival hopes to reach to a wider audience with something for people of all ages including a hand-drawn animated film aimed at younger audiences, Day of the Crows (Le jour des corneilles). The film, based on a novel, tells a tale of a boy who lives in the the forest, raised by a tyrannical giant of a father who prevents the son from exploring beyond limited boundaries. The film also features the voice of Jean Reno of Nikita (1990) fame. Other films that will be screened include the opening film, Happiness Never Comes Alone (Un bonheur n’arrive jamais seul), which makes a Southeast Asian debut. Directed by James Huth, Happiness Never Comes Alone stars the gorgeous Sophie Marceau in a love story between two people who as the trailer that was shown and the synopsis does suggest are made for each other because they have nothing in common. Sophie plays Charlotte, a twice divorced mother of three with a professional career who meets Sacha, played by Gad Elmaleh, a happy-go-lucky jazz pianist.

Sacha (Gad Elmaleh) meets Charlotte (Sophie Marceau) in Happiness Never Comes Alone.

Sophie who is well known for her roles in the movie Braveheart (1995) and the James Bond movie, The World Is Not Enough (1999), will make her appearance in Singapore as part of this year’s cast of celebrities who will grace the event. The cinematic delegation which will be here to promote French cinema to local and regional audiences will include actors Christopher Lambert (of Highlander fame), Sophie’s better half; as well as Charles Berling, Fleur-Lise Heuet, Anne le Ny, Dimitri Storoge; directors Lorraine Lévy, Carine Tardieu and Jean-Christophe Dessaint; and producers Jérôme Seydoux and Marc-Antoine Robert. The delegation will also be accompanied by Unifrance Chairman, Antoine de Clermont-Tonnerre as well as Sophie Seydoux of Fondation Pathé-Jérôme Seydoux.

Ms Black; His Excellency Olivier Caron, the French Ambassador to Singapore; Mr Olivier Gougeon, Regional Chief Executive Officer – Asia Pacific; and Ms Michelle Lim, Managing Director of Reed Exhibitions at the press conference.

Other films of note that will be screened are Untouchable (Intouchables) which does seem like one that should not be missed. France’s official selection for the foreign language film category at next year’s Oscars, Untouchable examines a friendship that develops between Philippe (François Cluzet), a wealthy quadraplegic and Driss (Omar Sy), a poor man hired as his live-in caregiver. The film which has been a hit grossing $355 million worldwide so far is directed by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano. Another one that does seem to be worth watching is The Other Son (Le Fils de l’Autre), which has recently won an award at the Tokyo Sakura Grand Prix at the 25th Tokyo Film Festival. The Other Son, directed by Lorraine Lévy, looks at two families, one Israeli and the other Palestinian, who find out that the sons they have raised had been exchanged at birth.

In Intouchables, Philippe played by François Cluzet, a wealthy quadraplegic develops a friendship with his caregiver Driss, played by Omar Sy.

The movie poster for Le Fils de L’Autre (The Other Son).

Other films that will be shown during the festival include Armed Hands (Mains Armées) directed by Pierre Jolivet; My Lucky Star (Ma bonne étoile) which stars Christopher Lambert and Fleur-Lise Heuet; Rust and Bone (De rouille et d’os), directed by Jacques Audiard and starring Marion Cotillard; and What’s In A Name (Le Prénom), directed by Matthieu Delaporte and starring Charles Berling. In addition to the 12 films, a special screening of The Children of Paradise (Les enfants du paradis) will also take place at the National Museum of Singapore Cinematheque. The Children of Paradise is a French film classic from 1945, which has been preserved and digitally remastered by the Pathé-Jérôme Seydoux Foundation.

Christopher Lambert in My Lucky Star (Ma bonne étoile).

For a second year, the visiting delegation will also participate in Asia TV Forum & Market, Asia’s largest content market and a partner trade event of the festival. A feature this year will be a schools’ outreach programme during which masterclasses will be conducted for students from Ngee Ann Polytechnic School of Film & Media Studies and Tisch School of the Arts Asia. The masterclasses will be conducted by directors Lorraine Lévy, Carine Tardieu and Jean-Christophe Dessaint and will facilitate an exchange of knowledge and skills specific to French cinema. The festival will also offer members of the public hoping for a chance to meet some of the actors and directors that opportunity. Post screening sessions at the festival venues will be held which will allow audiences to interact with the actors and directors.

---

About Societe Generale Private Banking 2nd Rendezvous With French Cinema:

Societe Generale Private Banking 2nd Rendezvous With French Cinema is organised by Institut Français, Unifrance and Alliance Française de Singapour and sponsored by Societe Generale Private Banking. Societe Generale Private Banking 2nd Rendezvous With French Cinema also has the strong support of several other French businesses including luxury champagne house Perrier-Jouet as the Official Champagne, Air France as Official Airline, Angénieux as Official Film Industry Support, and Renault as Official Festival Car. Other sponsors include Raffles Hotel as Official Hotel and The Wall Street Journal as Official International Newspaper. The festival is organised with the support of the Embassy of France and the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI), together with partners Asia TV Forum & Market, ScreenSingapore, MDA, TV5Monde and France 24. Societe Generale Private Banking 2nd Rendezvous With French Cinema is a part of Encore the European Season and Voilah! 2012.

Societe Generale Private Banking 2nd Rendezvous With French Cinema will run from 5 to 9 December 2012. Tickets will be priced at $12 and $11 for members of the Alliance Française de Singapour. The festival’s film schedule and advance online booking will be made available to the public from 14 November 2012. More ticketing and film programme details can be found at the festival’s website (which will go live on 14 November 2012).

---

The Gala Opening of the 1st Rendezvous With French Cinema

The Cathay last night saw a crowd that had gathered to welcome the ever so lovely Carole Bouquet at a red carpet event – opening of the Societe Generale Private Banking 1st Rendezvous With French Cinema. Ms Bouquet, was there to open the six-day French film festival together with Mr Antoine de Clermont-Tonnerre, Chairman of uniFrance, the association responsible for the promotion of French Cinema internationally. Also gracing the event were members of a delegation of French film personalities which is in Singapore to promote the French film industry and will be presenting their films and taking questions from audiences at the Festival screenings.

Mr Antoine de Clermont-Tonnerre, Chairman of uniFrance with Ms Carole Bouquet.

At a press conference held before last evening’s Gala Opening during which was Ms Bouquet and members of the artistic delegation were introduced, Mr Clermont-Tonnerre, spoke of how uniFrance hopes to participate in more events such as this not just to increase the market share of French films in Singapore which is estimated add about only 1%, but also to increase cooperation between the French and local film industries as well as increase its distribution network. Also speaking at the conference was Ms Bouquet, who revealed that she had only just landed a few hours before. Ms Bouquet, who is well-known for her role in the 1981 James Bond movie, For Your Eyes Only and as the face of fashion house Chanel in the 1980s, has over 40 films to her credit, added that she was happy to be in Singapore together with the delegation and to be the “godmother” of the 15 films which will showcase the diversity of French Cinema.

Ms Carole Bouquet with Mr Olivier Gougeon, Regional Chief Executive Officer – Asia Pacific, Societe Generale Private Banking.

For the festival’s title sponsor is Societe Generale Private Banking, bringing the festival to Singapore, is very much an extension of the sponsorship of the Cannes Film Festival by its Head Office. Its Regional Chief Executive Officer – Asia Pacific, Mr Olivier Gougeon, spoke of the French zeal for filmmaking which the organisation hopes to share by creating a first of its kind artistic, cultural and industry exchange. He also added that he hoped that this would not “just be a rendezvous with French Cinema, but a date”.

Stéphane Rybojad, Director, Forces spéciales (Special Forces) with Gilles Paquet-Brenner, Director, Elle s’appelait Sarah (Sarah’s Key).

Ismaël Ferroukhi, Director, Les hommes libres (Free Men) sharing a lighthearted moment with Mathieu Demy, Actor/Director, Americano.

Ms Bouquet speaking.

The crowd that attended the Gala Opening was treated to a brilliant opening movie, The Artist, directed by Michel Hazanavicius – and an appearance on stage of Ms Bouquet and the delegation. The movie, a (largely) silent movie set in Hollywood between 1927 and 1931, looks at the decline of a male star as the silent movie era made way for the talkies and stars Jean Dujardin, one of France’s leading actors, who took the accolade of the Best Actor Award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival for his role in the film, alongside Bérénice Bejo. The festival will run from 8 to 13 December 2011 with tickets priced at $10 each. A list of films to be shown as well as a synopsis of each film can be found at this page (click here). More information on the festival, ticketing and schedule can be found at the festival’s website www.rendezvouswithfrenchcinema.sg.

The Gala Opening of the Societe Private Banking 1st Rendezvous with French Cinema was held at the Cathay.

Mr Antoine de Clermont-Tonnerre, Chairman of uniFrance with Ms Bouquet and the other members of the Artistic Delegation on stage at the opening of the Societe Private Banking 1st Rendezvous with French Cinema.

Mr Clermont-Tonnerre and the gorgeous Ms Bouquet.

Make a date with Carole Bouquet in Singapore this December

A treat awaits fans of French Cinema in Singapore this December when a rendezvous, not just with film, but also with celebrities of French Cinema, takes place at the Societe Generale Private Banking 1st Rendezvous With French Cinema. Organised by Unifrance, Institut Français and Alliance Française de Singapour, the festival will showcase the best of contemporary French Cinema, and will see over 20 films being screened at GV Vivocity, Lido, Cathay, and the Alliance Française Theatre.

Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo in 'The Artist', which will open the film festival.

The launch of the film festival, which will be held from 8 to 13 Dec 2011, was announced at a press conference yesterday. The conference, which was held at Societe Generale Private Banking’s offices in One Raffles Quay, was hosted by the model and TV personality Linda Black, who, together with a panel that made up of His Excellency Olivier Caron – the French Ambassador to Singapore, Mr Liew Choon Boon – Senior Director Industry and the Arts, Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA), and Mr Olivier Gougeon – Regional CEO, Societe Generale Private Banking, provided details of the festival. H. E. Caron in his address, spoke of the festival, besides promoting French films to Asian audiences, also serving as a platform for networking and for collaboration between the French and Asian film industries. To facilitate this, the festival which is being launched in partnership with the Asian Television Forum (ATF), Asia’s leading content market with the ATF bringing in 12 sales agent companies from France. The Gala Opening of the festival will also see the launch of ATF 2011.

The gorgeous Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey in La fille du puisatier (The Well-Digger’s Daughter). The actress would be part of the artistic delegation that will be in Singapore for the festival.

To provide an appreciation of what will be on offer, trailers of selected movies that will be screened at the festival were shown at to the audience. This included what will be the opening movie of the festival, The Artist, a silent movie set in Hollywood between 1927 and 1931. The film is directed by Michel Hazanavicius and looks at the decline of a male star as the silent movie era made way for the talkies. The Artist stars Jean Dujardin, one of France’s leading actors, who took the accolade of the Best Actor Award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival for his role in the film.

The official festival trailer.

The festival will feature new film releases, some of which will be making their Asian premiere in Singapore. Amongst the films is a delightful one that is set in Provence around the time of the First World War, which I actually had the good fortune of watching on a flight back to Singapore very recently. The movie, The Well Digger’s Daughter, sees the directorial debut Daniel Auteuil, a celebrated French actor, in a remake of a 1940 Marcel Pagnol classic of the same title. Auteuil plays a well digger Pascal Amoretti in the movie which also sees the making of the very sweet Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey as an actress playing Amoretti’s daughter, Patricia. A synopsis of the movie as well as that of the others that will be screened at the festival can be found at this link. Other films that are making their premiere include Special Forces by director Stéphane Rybojad, Point Blank directed by Fred Cavayé, A Happy Event directed by Rémi Bezançon and Free Men by director Ismaïl Ferroukhi.

Point Blank directed by Fred Cavayé will be one of several films that will have their Asian premiere in Singapore.

The festival programme will also see the visit to Singapore of an artistic delegation which Bergès-Frisbey, Cavayé, Rybojad, Bezançon and Ferroukhi will be a part of. The delegation would be led by Carole Bouquet, the leading lady of French Cinema, to whom homage is being paid to during the festival through a retrospective segment that features five of her films. Bouquet would be a familiar face to Bond fans here for her role in the 1981 James Bond movie, For Your Eyes Only. The delegation would also include directors Mathieu Demy of Americano and Rithy Panh of Shiiku, as well as actor Pio Marmaï from A Happy Event and actress Ludivine Sagnier of Swimming Pool fame who acts in the film The Beloved. The audience will have a chance to meet and interact with the members of the delegation during post-screening sessions – something certainly to be excited about! Tickets will be priced at $10 each. A list of films to be shown as well as a synopsis of each film can be found at this page (click here). More information on the festival, ticketing and schedule can be found at the festival’s website www.rendezvouswithfrenchcinema.sg.

A scene from 'A Happy Event'.

Carole Bouquet.

All images courtesy of uniFrance.

---

Societe Generale Private Banking 1st Rendezvous With French Cinema is proudly sponsored by Societe Generale Private Banking as Title Sponsor, with Perrier-Jouet as Official Champagne, Swarovski as Official Fashion Sponsor, Air France as Official Airline, Renault as Official Car and Angénieux for Official Film Industry Support. It will be an event of Encore, the European Season and Voilah!. The festival will run from 8 to 13 December 2011. More details about the festival can be found at www.rendezvouswithfrenchcinema.sg.

---

Update on Artistic Delegation, 1 Dec 2011:

Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey and Ludivine Sagnier are unable to come down to Singapore for the festival. Gilles Parquet-Brenner would be coming instead.

---