Film Socialisme by Jean-Luc Godard

Jean-Luc Godard

The latest opus of Franco-Swiss director Jean-Luc Godard, Film Socialisme, is presented today in Un Certain Regard. The film brings together an eclectic mix of actors and well-know film personalities from different spheres (Alain Badiou, Patti Smith, Elias Sanbar, Bernard Maris, Robert Baroutier, Lenny Kaye).

Jean-Luc Godard’s latest film is being presented today in Un Certain Regard, with all the predictable buzz his films create. A teaser came out a year ago on the Internet, with images that were enigmatic, to say the least. For the past few weeks, it has also been possible to see the whole film in acceleration, in a number of film trailers, a technique used before by Brian de Palma for Femme fatale. “Things. Gold. Bad guys. Stories. Animals. Children. Legends” also run as subtitles on the images.
Film Socialisme is a collage where the main preoccupations are politics, Europe, the Middle East and the motto of the French Republic … Jean-Luc Godard describes his film as a symphony in three movements. First,  a Mediterranean cruise, with passengers who are almost all on holiday: a philosopher (Alain Badiou), a Palestinian ambassador  (Elias Sanbar), an American singer (Patti Smith), a former war criminal, a double agent… and where what we see (the image) is quite different from what is said (the dialogue). Second, a trial where children ask their parents for serious explanations on questions of liberty, equality and fraternity and finally six real fake legends (Egypt, Palestine, Odessa, Hellas, Naples and Barcelona).
Jean-Luc Godard hasn’t presented a film in the Official Selection since Notre Musique in 2004. Although he left the choice of location in the Selection to the Festival organisers, he also mentioned that he had a special fondness for the Salle Debussy. So Film Socialisme is being screened in Un Certain Regard, Salle Debussy, today at 11:15 and 16:30.