The French connection
New Zealand Listener|May 27 - June 2 2023
A look at what’s on offer at this year’s local celebration of le cinéma francais.
The French connection

Just as the nights are drawing in and the days turning cold, the annual French Film Festival Aotearoa returns with an excellent assortment of recent fare. From le mélodrame to la comédie, the heartrending to the nerve-racking, there truly is something for every penchant.

Notre-Dame on Fire is a gripping dramatisation of the devastating fire that cut through the 800-year-old cathedral on the Monday before Easter in 2019. Mixing naturalistic performances from an unrecognisable cast with liberal use of news and phone footage, the film succeeds in being unsentimental yet still deeply affecting as it depicts the disaster almost minute by minute and shows how rescue efforts were hampered.

Particularly fascinating are the insights we gain into how the various authorities responded: there's the cathedral's general manager fighting to get through the cordon in order to save an irreplaceable holy relic, and the fire engines rushing to the scene caught in stubborn Paris traffic.

Using hand-held camerawork to create an immersive sense of panic, as centuries-old doors slam shut and smoke envelops those caught inside, veteran director Jean-Jacques Annaud (The Name of the Rose) turns a moving cultural tragedy into an exciting thriller.

Bu hikaye New Zealand Listener dergisinin May 27 - June 2 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye New Zealand Listener dergisinin May 27 - June 2 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

NEW ZEALAND LISTENER DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
First-world problem
New Zealand Listener

First-world problem

Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.

time-read
3 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Applying intelligence to AI
New Zealand Listener

Applying intelligence to AI

I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.

time-read
2 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Nazism rears its head
New Zealand Listener

Nazism rears its head

Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.

time-read
2 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Staying ahead of the game
New Zealand Listener

Staying ahead of the game

Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?

time-read
4 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Grasping the nettle
New Zealand Listener

Grasping the nettle

Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.

time-read
3 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Hangry? Eat breakfast
New Zealand Listener

Hangry? Eat breakfast

People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.

time-read
3 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Chemical reaction
New Zealand Listener

Chemical reaction

Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.

time-read
4 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Me and my guitar
New Zealand Listener

Me and my guitar

Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.

time-read
2 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Time is on my side
New Zealand Listener

Time is on my side

Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?

time-read
7 dak  |
September 9, 2024
The kids are not alright
New Zealand Listener

The kids are not alright

Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.

time-read
4 dak  |
September 9, 2024