By Chester Francis-Jackson, Gleaner WriterIT STARTED some 28 years ago, in 1976 as the French Film Festival, a product of the Alliance Francaise de la Jamaique.
It was aimed at promoting a greater understanding of the French culture in the wider Caribbean. The efforts then were not only very well received by the Jamaican Francophiles, as well as the French speaking nationals from neighbouring territories domiciled here, it was an instant social and cultural hit.
Little wonder then that, within a few years of its inception, the event out grew the grounds of the Alliance Francaise then March Drive headquarters in Barbican to more extensive accommodations offered by the city's leading hotels from where it operated up until 1998. Further expansions were still in the offering however, as is the case of a good thing, one is never able to retard its growth.
NEW ERA OF FILMS
So, in 2000, the French Film Festival was expanded to allow for the inclusion of 'Francophone' films and an opening was created to include films from countries such as Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, Haiti, and African states. This new era saw the French Embassy here in Kingston associating with the Alliance Francaise to sponsor French films, with entrants from the other participating countries sponsoring their own entries, and private sector companies chipping in to pick up the slack.
This year however, for its 28th renewal, the annual Francophone Film Festival, is being mounted under the auspices of the Alliance Francaise, the French and Canadian Embassies, as the other countries have opted out of this year's event, with the French Embassy sponsoring those African countries that are participating. And so, on Wednesday of last week my dears, the preferred affaire for culture vultures, the socially-well-heeled and Francophiles, was the Palace Cineplex Complex, located in the upscale shopping complex in Liguanea, known as the Sovereign Centre.
COSMOPOLITAN
Dears, it was prime time and then some. Luvs, it was a Francophone social and cultural feast as the bastions and denizens of Francophone society and their admirers were out in fashionable numbers and sporting that chic that only the truly fab knows how to, thus making for a very smart outing!
There's nothing as cosmopolitan as the French and Francophiles at play and or leisure, the language, making for fabulous music to the ears of the cultured as it manages to transport those within earshot into a world of romance, leisure and style.
Pumpkins, it was a linguist's heaven and then some as clearly it was a gathering of people, who, if French was not their first tongue, were clearly fluent in the language of love, as well as a few others and it made for quite a parley. It was hot! A little Espanol there and some Sprechen there, made for a feast of tongues, not very common to social outings here in Kingston, and it made for a fabulous repast.
And then there was the society! High-brow and then some and dressed to the nines, as they laa-dee-daahed the cocktail hour away in a setting dripping with haute-eleganza and clearly reminiscent of the Parisian summers and strolls along the Champs Elye Sees.
Now the curtain-raiser for the festival was a film titled The Barbarian Invasion by Denis Arcand, and the festival will continue through to November 18. But dears, last Wednesday's opening was not only a social and cultural curtain-raiser, it was quite a do and then some.
Among those out celebrating were hosts Canadian High Commissioner Claudio Valle, bringing greetings from his homeland and sharing with his guests the merits of the booming Canadian film industry, his fabulous wife Louise and her mom, the charming Edith Jarbeau.
Head of the Alliance Francaise Pierre Lemaire, in his remarks, advised his audience of the commitment by the French government to assist with the development of the Jamaican film industry. His wife Karlene was also present.
But it was the remarks by Information Minister Burchell Whiteman (who spoke in flawless French) which had guests in a tizzy, particularly the ladies, as so fluent and clear was the minister's diction, it was termed 'drop-dead-sexy' by one lady present for the affair.
Also present for the event were: French Ambassador Francis Hurtut, Ambassador Peter Black and the lovely Marie-Jose Desulme, Dean of the Diplomatic Corp Dennis Francis (who is High Commissioner of Trinidad and Tobago); Belgian Ambassador Herman Portocarero, Brazilian Ambassador Jose Amaral, French Consul Bernadette Grezes, UNICEF's representative Bertrand Bainvel, UNDP's Juan-Carlos Espinola, Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Korea Yvon Desulme and his wife Cynthia Desulme; Suzanne Alexander, Ainsley and Marjorie Henriques, Dr. Dhiru Tanna and wife Laura, Franklyn 'Chappy' St. Juste, noted attorney George Fatta, Marvin and Rosalee Goodman.
Seen, too, were curator of Mutual Life Gallery Gilou Bauer, Dr. Bernard Benjamin, Sybille N' Toutoume-Obame, Dr. Hopeton Dunn, Paul Chang, Linda Chevalier, Janet Farrow, linguist extraordinaire Myrtha Desulme, Rafael and Benedicte Vallee, Elizabeth Helstrom, Mr. and Mrs. Xavier Quetu, Claudie Warner, Mr. and Mrs. Olivier Blanchon, Virginie Busetto, Thierry Berniche, Alaine de Chardonay plus several others.
