For 8 years now Beatrice Amiel and Jean-Michel Filiquier have put together a season of documentary films, with no underlying theme other than the desire of the directors to present their view of things that concern them and maybe should concern and interest us.
The thing that unites the films is the form (documentary) and the "fond" (content): the directors' use of the medium of film, their interest in cinematography and the ability to present their view in a new and arresting way.
The season started on Friday evening in the salle des fetes at Verfeil, with two short films "Ce que peut le lion", a story of the director's search for his childhood through observing his father and his baby son. Although I found it a bit self indulgent there was lots of "ahh" factor with the baby.
The second film "Une escroc tres discrete" was the director's search for details of an elderly woman con artist who spent much of her life in Nice conning local shopkeepers and businesses out of many thousands of francs, and the rest of her life in prison. A mixture of live interviews and excellent pencil drawings kept the audience interested and painted a bleak portrait of this anonymous woman (as well as making Nice in winter seem very unappealing).
The directors were both present and a lively discussion followed each screening. No doubt lots more questions were answered over the usual "pot d'amitie".
The series continues with more films from now until mid- February in various towns and villages in Tarn and Garonne - see your local library for details or visit http://leshivernalesdudoc.free.fr/accueil.htm
Malcolm Johnstone
