Directed by Xavier Giannoli
English title: In the Beginning
Paul (Francois Cluzet), a career con man, is enjoying the profits of his latest scam when a lady mayor (Emmanuelle Devos) makes him rethink his criminal ways. Thanks to his growing interest in the lovely village boss, Paul wants to make things right with his victims, who are many.
Director: Marc Gibaja
English title: It Had To Be You
The French title is "My life is not a romantic comedy" in English, and this is a parody of romantic comedies. It is the story of Thomas and Florence. Thomas had a bad breakup and, at age 35, is occuppied mainly with Star Trek (the film includes a Klingon wedding), and video games. Florence became a single mother at 17, and became a schoolteacher. She meets Thomas shopping for toilet paper with her daughter (Soko). For some reason all the vocals in the soundtrack are in English, although the dialogue is in French. The theme was written by Soko (The Dandy Cowboys).
Written and directed by Eric de Montalier
English title: My Place in the Sun
Three couples and a single (among others) of different ages and social classes, struggle with professional and personal problems.
Director: Magaly Richard-Serrano (Former French boxing champion)
English title: On the Ropes
Joseph manages a French Boxing Club where he trains his daughter and niece. Boxing is everything for them. The evening of the French Championships, the defeat of one of the two girls throws the survival of the club into peril. The bond between Angie and Sandra, raised as if sisters, is tested and a dangerous rivalry begins both inside the ring and out.
Short film. Director: Olivier Vidal
Title translates as "Poetry of Love".
With: Marc Andreoni, Mischa Aznavour, Victor Chambon, Dora Doll
Leo is a fifteen year old loner, the son and grandson of farmers, different from other boys his age. His need to live on the edge of society fits nicely with his desire to disrupt day-to-day life. He tells of his encounter with Nathan, an impressively successful man from the city, of undefined age, who has no dreams left.
Directed by Didier Bourdon and Yves Fajnberg.
With Pascal Légitimus, Arly Jover, Catherine Mouchet, and Yoann Denaive.
Francis (Didier Bourdon) is fired from his job at the French subsidiary of an American company. Unable to find another job, he consults a fortune teller, who does not help him but gives him an idea. He creates the alter ego of Madame Irma and becomes a fortune teller himself.
Director: Sylvie Ayme
English title: Girlfriends.
With: Djena Tsimba, Anne-Sophie Franck, Rossy de Palma, Serge Riaboukine
Four girlfriends dream of winning the Défi dance, an inter-school hip hop competition. Their approach is to distinguish themselves from competitors by pursuing technical prowess rather than sensuality.
The entire film can be viewed online at DAILYMOTION.
Director: Renaud Bertrand
Title translates as "The Diehards".
With: Jacques Gamblin, Kad Merad, Anne Brochet, Sacha Briquet
As teenagers, Michel (Jacques Gamblin), Gerard (Kad Merad) and Edmond (Rufus) all failed their Baccalaureat exams (necessary for high school graduation in France. They planned to retake the exam, but all three ended up with jobs in the same factory. Twenty years after leaving school, Michel has a son, Philippe, who also fails the Baccalaureat. As Michel encourages Philippe to give the test another try, he gets word that the factory is shutting down, and all three men are out of work.
Director: Olivier Dujols
The 14-minute comedy was filmed at La Haute Maison in Seine-et-Marne, France.
Soko's scenes were deleted.
Directed by Valérie Lemercier.
Eugenia (Catherine Deneuve) is Queen of a fictitious nation somewhere in Europe. When the King dies unexpectedly, there is a problem of succession. By law, a new king must be married and the eldest son is not. The youngest son, Prince Arnaud (Lambert Wilson), is married two young children, and they become the kingdom's future rulers.
Director: Marie-Anne Chazel
English title: Last Chance Saloon.
With: Pierre Palmade, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, and Franck Dubosc
Kathy, Tara and Yann spent their childhood together on the island of Grois off Brittany. At 18 they came to Paris. Twelve years later, Yann is happy with his boyfriend Alfredo, and the girls have disastrous love lives.
Their carefree attitude to life turns serious when Yann falls ill. Yann's mother arrives from the island to take care of him and discovers his private life. The two women sort out their soap-opera-ish series of relationships. Based on the book "Last Chance Saloon" by MARIAN KEYES.
Director: Jon Carnoy
With: Romain Vissol, Vincent Ronsse, Alaric Sepulchre
A coming of age story of two 16 year old friends whose main interests are skateboarding and girls. The 25 minute film is embedded below.
Director: Frédéric Mermoud
English title: The Staircase.
With: Nina Meurisse, Camille Japy, Marie Collins, Olivia Amandine Maudet
An apartment building staircase connects the lives of the building's tenants.
This 22 minute short won four film festival awards, including the Golden Swann. Nina Meurisse (Rachel) won Best Actress at the Vendome and Cabourg Festivals.