Cinema is known for its versatile ability to capture daily life with the cumulative aesthetic effects of the moving image, sound and music. Bonjour Cinéma! is a noteworthy venture undertaken by the Embassy of France in Sri Lanka in partnership with ARTRA Magazine, Ceylon Theaters and Alliance Française de Kotte to celebrate French cinema and their narratives of life in France.

The film Tour de France (2016) was screened on the 16th of May at Alliance Française de Kotte to an audience of enthusiastic filmgoers with a refined taste for French cinema. Tour de France, directed by Rachid Djaïdani portrays the story of Far’hook, a young man of French- Arabic descent who is entrusted with the responsibility of chauffeuring the elderly Sarge on a trip along the coast of France. The relationship that Far’hook and Sarge form during their journey is the focus of the film Djaïdani attempts to highlight the differences of thought between the young and the old. The film also sheds light on the growing multi-culturalism in France and its effect on the common civilian. The role of Far’hook is played by Sadek, and emerging actor and artist, who is paired with the universally acclaimed French genius of Gérard Depardieu. Sadek is a revelation in the film, and he seamlessly inhabits the character of Far’hook, an impatient but unaggressive young French-Arab rapper/ chauffeur. Depardieu is known for his iconic roles in the vast milieu of French film, and Tour de France stands out as another nuanced performance by the actor. 

Click below to read the full article.