A Festival of Films from French Speaking Africa, which started Sept. 14 and runs through Oct 10, invites audiences to examine the French language and African culture through a different lens. All the films in this series are either filmed on-location in Africa or feature African characters. The stories are firmly rooted in distinctly African territory, which results in an interesting cross-examination of societies and morals.
The Tournees Festival, which is a program of FACE (French American Cultural Exchange), is sponsoring the series. Maria Bobroff, Visiting Assistant Professor of Foreign Languages, arranged for the films to be shown at Guilford by applying for a grant from FACE over the summer.
“I enjoy films and have always thought of film as a good vehicle for reaching out to students. It’s a genre that students feel comfortable with,” Bobroff said.
Bobroff, who selected the films, tried to integrate their themes to fit with the classes she is teaching. She decided on an African theme so that she could work the films into her syllabi for her francophone classes, which include a French course dealing with African and Caribbean literature.
The films, which are required viewing for Bobroff’s classes, help to display visceral examples of Francophone cultures.
Sophomore and French student Emilie Grant appreciates the festival’s vision.
“I think that the film festival is a great way of bringing different aspects of the French language to Guilford’s campus, and I am very happy that Maria got the grant and was able to put these films on,” she said.
Grant’s favorite film so far is Le Grand Voyage, which details a young man’s pilgrimage to Mecca with his father. “It showed a lot of the middle eastern landscape and was just a beautifully directed film,” she explained.
The films showcased vary in terms of story and genre. Some are poignant and introspective, like Abouna, which tells the story of two boys at a religious school. Others are light and comedic. Some, like the film Tasuma, mix comedy and pathos.
Bobroff wanted the films to appeal to broad audiences. She encourages both students and residents of Greensboro to come to the screenings.
“My goal was to make the festival open to the entire community within and outside of Guilford, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised to see people from both circles. I think it has offered Guilford and the larger community an alternative venue for non-mainstream films,” said Bobroff.
She says that she will apply next year for another grant, and if accepted, will organize another festival. On the next selection, she may try to incorporate completely new themes to fit in with different elements for her classes.
Sophomore and French student Matt Charney reiterated the importance of the festival. “It brings films from places that don’t get much international exposure. I’d definitely enjoy the chance to see more Franco-African films,” he said.