Francophonie Film Festival at the Globe Theatre in Palmerston North

Arab Blues shows in Palmerston North on March 21. After 10 years of living in Paris, Selma has returned to Tunis and wants to open a psychotherapy practice.

Attention, s'il vous plaît. French Language and Francophonie Week starts today, March 15.

Alliance Française Palmerston North is celebrating with a Francophonie Film Festival from March 19 to 21 at the Globe Theatre. All movies will be shown in French with English subtitles.

Ticket holders to the opening night on Friday will be treated to a complimentary glass of wine, canapés, petit fours and live musical entertainment. The screening of the acclaimed comedy Sink or Swim, which has never been shown in Palmerston North, will start at 8pm.

There is also a family event on Saturday, March 20. Alliance Française teachers will put on an afternoon tea and activities for children before the screening of the animation movie Minga and the Broken Spoon at 4.15pm.

French Language and Francophonie Week is also being celebrated in schools. During March, Alliance Française Palmerston North is offering activities to students around the Manawatū/Whanganui region. French films with English subtitles will be screened in primary, intermediate and high schools, followed by language learning activities based on the films. These workshops will be held by Alliance Française native French teachers and are free.

Movies to discover are:

Sink or Swim by Gilles Lellouche (France)
The 2018 hit comedy-drama with an all-star French cast. A group of men in their 40s, all on the verge of a mid-life crisis, put together their pool's first all-male synchronised swimming team coached by Delphine, a former discipline champion.

Papicha by Mounia Meddour (Algeria)
The award-winning drama by Franco-Algerian film director Mounia Meddour. Nedjma, an 18-year-old student passionate about fashion design, refuses to let the tragic events of the Algerian Civil War keep her from experiencing a normal life.

Arab Blues by Manele Labidi (Tunisia)
An incisive French-Tunisian comedy about coming home, breaking taboos, and building community, directed by Manele Labidi Labbé in her debut feature.

Notre Dame by Valérie Donzelli (France)
A humourous French comedy full of twists and turns. Maud Crayon was born in the Vosges and now lives in Paris. She is an architect, mother of two, and wins the opportunity to refurbish the iconic Notre Dame.

Le Brio by Yvan Attal (France)
A punchy, well-performed comedy-drama with veteran actor Daniel Auteuil and talented French-Algerian pop singer and actress Camelia Jordana.

Minga and the Broken Spoon by Claye Edou (Cameroon)
A charming animated feature for the entire family, based on the famous African tale The Broken Spoon.

System K by Renaud Barret (Democratic Republic of Congo)
A lively, convincing and unsettling documentary about the incredible street art scene of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

+ INFO Tickets are available from www.globetheatre.co.nz or the Globe Theatre box office. For more information, visit the Alliance Française website www.french.org.nz.