With the arrival of Budapest’s 7th Francophone Film Days and Festival spanning March 1st to April 1st, we can enjoy a mélange of France-related programs at more than 20 venues citywide. The event awaits visitors interested in French culture with fresh films from seven countries, concerts with musical styles ranging from Renaissance-era songs through chansons to modern experimental music, historical and sociological lectures, public readings, a Francophone song contest, children’s activities, and educational programs. During the movie screenings taking place during March 1-10, French, Belgian, Canadian, Hungarian, Moroccan, Swiss, and Romanian films will be screened at the Uránia National Film Theatre, at Art+ Cinema, and at the French Institute. This year, the organizers prepared for the events with films that will be shown only during this event along with pre-premiere screenings, as well as Canadian and Moroccan evenings.
The program, consisting of 29 feature films and two short-film selections, revolves around three main themes, which draw attention to everyday problems. The first block bears the name Standoff, and deals with socio-economic constraints. In the section called Search for Truth, social injustice, corruption, and family secrets surface. The third theme is Crisis Management, in which more delicate questions arise: whether generations can come together, whether habit systems can be broken, and whether faith can provide enough support. But the festival isn’t only about films – another highlight of this year’s program is music: more than 20 concerts will await audiences at 12 venues.
The French Institute presents a Francophone musical program consisting of six concerts. Within the GetCloser jazz concerts, world-famous musicians will take the stage, such as the Italian-born French accordion artist Richard Galliano and Swiss-born French trumpet prodigy Erik Truffaz. There’ll be drama performances, as well: three theater programs of different genres will focus on French-speaking culture. The program of Szkéné Theater will feature French-written dramas by contemporary authors, while French conceptual choreographer Jérôme Bel will present his latest piece at Trafó.
