Their family knew them as Auguste and Louis. The world would come to know them as the Brothers Lumiere, the pioneers credited with introducing the first public screenings of motion pictures.
Indeed, France and cinema are indelibly linked from the Lumiere’s to the New Wave to the endless list of filmmakers (Goddard, Truffaut) and stars (Moreau, Belmondo). So, we were thrilled to learn of a new iteration of the Boise French Film Festival, a collaborative project “led by two passionate Boise Francophiles and their upper-division students,” according to the festival’s announcement.
“This year, the festival will be at The Common Well on West 31st Street,” said spokesman Spencer Decker. “The festival is an evolution of the older festival that [Boise State] used to run. We’ve resurrected the concept with a film class and French class, working together to bring more independent films to Boise.”
The festival kicks off with La Haine (Hate), a 1995 film captured in striking black and white. It’s followed by Ascenseur Pour Lechaufaud (Elevator to the Gallows), a 1958 classic directed by Louis Malle and featuring a jazz score by Miles Davis. And then, there will be a curation of short films from across the Francophone world.
Decker visited with Morning Edition host George Prentice to preview the festival.
Find reporter George Prentice @georgepren
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