From March 6 through March 8, Elon University will host The Tournees Festival. This festival brings films by French directors onto college campuses for students to watch and enjoy. The festival was made possible by a grant that Dr. Ocek Eke, assistant professor of communications, received from the French American Cultural Exchange [FACE].

“The idea of studying the French culture through film is invaluable because it gives us a chance to see how people conduct themselves under similar circumstances,” Eke said.

Five films were chosen for the festival. Each one has a strong multi-cultural dimension to it.

“The films I picked are not about just the French culture, but they involve other cultures,” said Eke. “There is a global aspect to all of these stories and many references are made to the United States.”

The festival is part of the International Communications week that is taking place at Elon. Students can see all screenings for free in McEwen 011.

Some of the movies include “L’Esquive” [“Games of Love and Chance”], directed by Abdellatif Kechiche. This movie follows a group of teenagers, made up of different backgrounds, through their daily interactions as they work on a school play.

“Le Grand Voyage” [“Grand Voyage”], directed by Ismael Farrouki, tells the story of a young man named Reda as he drives his father to Mecca for the traditional pilgrimage. Reda and his father have nothing in common and this journey helps to bring them closer together.

“Moolade,” directed by Ousman Sembene, examines the issue of female circumcisions in Africa. This movie looks at four girls who take sanctuary and the way their decision to not go along with their country’s customs impacts not only themselves, but also how the rest of their community is forced to choose sides.

“Stupeur et Tremblements” [“Fear and Trembling”], directed by Alain Corneau, explores the run of emotions and struggles a Japanese woman faces when she returns to her homeland after several years in the West. She struggles to fit in and makes mistake after mistake at her job until she is demoted to the most unnecessary tasks possible.

“Viva Laldjerie,” directed by Nadir Monkneche, explores the lives of three women in Algeiers as they struggle to get by. This film highlights the tensions between modern and traditional societies in a country emerging from civil war and dominated by men.

The Tournees Festival is sponsored by the School of Communications, The Isabella Cannon Center for International Studies and the Department of Foreign Languages.

A&E Editor: RJ Kraft - 03/01/07