Chicago, June 1st, 2019 – Films on the Lake, the free outdoor French film festival produced annually in Chicago parks by the Cultural Services at the Consulat General of France and Chicago Park District as part of Movies in the Parks, announces this year’s line-up for its 4th edition taking place from June 21 to July 16.
From the streets of Montmartre to the rooftops of the Grand Opera, the 2019 Films on the Lake invite the public in six different parks of Chicago to explore Paris through the lens of famous French filmmakers like Jean Renoir, Jean-Luc Godard, Agnès Varda and François Truffaut. Follow an ambitious cabaret owner, an anguished young singer, a scalawag schoolboy, a dreamy little girl and an insolent thug passionate about his American lover, in their wanderings in the City of Lights. Driven by the summer scents, the public is also invited to fly to Quebec for an evening with the music legend La Bolduc…
For the first time, Films on the Lake will partner with the Quebec Government Office in Chicago to screen the blockbuster La Bolduc in Trebes Park (Lincoln Park).
Most of the screenings will be accompanied by DJ Creature Island from Chicago, who will spin music on-site before the screenings.
Movies in the Parks is presented by T-Mobile. Films on the Lake is made possible thanks to the generous support of our official sponsors Kids Trail, TV5MONDE, Blue Foundation and Alliance Française de Chicago with additional support from local community partners: Chicago Sister Cities International, Chicago International Film Festival, Make Music Chicago and French in Chicago Associations.
Films on the Lake 2019 Schedule
June 21 – Osterman Beach Park (Edgewater): French Cancan by Jean Renoir
(Movie showing north of Bryn Mawr Ave., east of Lake Shore Drive)
June 29 – Belmont Harbor Park (Lakeview): Breathless by Jean-Luc Godard
(Movie showing south of Belmont Harbor, east of Lake Shore Drive)
July 6 – Walsh Park (West Town): Cléo From 5 to 7 by Agnès Varda
July 9 – Trebes Park (Lincoln Park): La Bolduc by François Bouvier
July 16 – Montgomery Ward Park (River North): The 400 Blows by François Truffaut
July 29 – Harold Washington Park (Hyde Park): Leap! by Eric Summer & Eric Warin
(Movie showing northeast of S. Hyde Park Blvd. and E. 53rd St.)
Link: http://frenchculture.org/events/9949-films-lake-2019
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Films of the Green 2019 Film Descriptions
All films are shown in French with English subtitles except Leap! Screenings begin at sunset.
June 21 – Osterman Beach Park: FRENCH CANCAN
Directed by Jean Renoir, 1955, NR, 1h42, France
With Jean Gabin, Françoise Arnoul, Michel Piccoli, Edith Piaf
Beautifully photographed, this comedy drama chronicles the revival of Paris’ most notorious dance as it tells the story of a theater producer who turns a humble washerwoman into a star at the Moulin Rouge.
June 29 – Belmont Harbor Park: BREATHLESS (À bout de souffle)
Directed by Jean Luc Godard, 1960, NR, 1h30, France With Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg
Breathless is a timeless story of a charismatic gangster who steals a car and impulsively murders a motorcycle policeman. Wanted by the authorities, he reunites with a hip American journalism student and attempts to persuade her to run away with him to Italy. Based on a draft screenplay by François Truffaut (The 400 Blows) and Claude Chabrol (Les Biches), Breathless is one of Godard’s most famous masterpieces. It was one of the earliest, most influential examples of French New Wave cinema, acclaimed by every critic and director ever since
July 2 – Harold Washington Park: LEAP! (Ballerina)
Directed by Eric Summer & Eric Warin, 2016, PG, Animated, 1h29, France & Canada With Elle Fanning, Dane DeHaan
Félicie, a young orphan has only one passion: dance. With her best friend Victor, Félicie devises a wild plan to escape the orphanage and make her way to Paris where she gets a chance to audition for the celebrated school of the Paris Opera Ballet. In English
July 6 - Walsh Park: CLEO FROM 5 TO 7 (Cléo de 5 à 7)
Directed by Agnès Varda, 1962, NR, 1h30, France & Italy With Corinne Marchand, Antoine Bourseiller
Cleo is a beautiful French singer awaiting the important results of a medical test. From superstition to fear, from coquetry to anguish, Cleo nervously meanders through the streets of Paris for ninety minutes. She meets four people during that time and each opens her eyes to the realities of life. An enduring classic of French cinema from the woman who was the soul of the French New Wave!
July 9 – Trebes Park: LA BOLDUC
Directed by François Bouvier, 2018, NR, 1h45, Canada With Debbie Lynch-White, Émile Proulx-Cloutier Presented by the Quebec Government Office in Chicago
Montreal, 1913. Mary is a mother who succeeds to keep her family from misery by becoming an acclaimed folk singer. With the 20s and 30s financial crisis and the first waves of suffragettes in the background, the film follows the life of Mary Travers Bolduc and her incredible career.
July 16 – Montgomery Ward Park: THE 400 BLOWS (Les quatre cents coups)
Directed by François Truffaut, 1959, NR, 1h39, France With Jean-Pierre Léaud, Claire Maurier
Antoine Doinel, a troubled 12-year-old in revolt against parents and school, seeks refuge in truancy, petty crime, and cinema. His rebellion against rigid social norms is exhilaratingly captured in lyrical location shooting on the streets of Paris. One of breakthrough works of the French New Wave!
About the Cultural Service at the Consulate General of France
The Cultural Services at the Consulate General of France promotes the best of French arts, literature, cinema, digital innovation, language, and higher education by bringing artists, authors, intellectuals and innovators across the Midwest. It also builds partnerships between French and American artists, institutions and universities on both sides of the Atlantic. www.frenchculture.org
About the Chicago Park District
The Chicago Park District is one of the oldest and largest municipal park districts in the nation and oversees more than 8,300 acres of green space, more than 585 parks, 26 miles of lakefront, twelve museums, two world-class conservatories, 16 historic lagoons, nearly 50 nature areas and thousands of special events and sports programs including Movies in the parks. www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/
About Movies in the Parks
The Chicago Park District’s 19th annual Movies in the Parks series will bring more than 250 movies to more than 160 citywide parks beginning June 7, 2019. The series is part of the Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks initiative, which features more than 1,100 citywide cultural and arts activities this summer, making parks a safe haven and a hub of activity. Movies in the Parks is presented by T-Mobile.
http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/events/movies
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Contact:
Laurence Geannopulos – + 1 (312) 327-5235- laurence.geannopulos@diplomatie.gouv.fr
Frenchculture.org
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