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Soirée & Screening at Jane Pickens Opens Tournées French Film Festival

The opening night of the fifth annual Tournées French Film Festival was attended by Newport’s faithful Francophiles and dedicated moviegoers, and began (a lá Francais) with wine, hors d’oeuvres, atmospheric French music by an accordionist, and an intriguing film, “L’Heure d’été” (The Hours of Summer).

The burning question of the evening was: what is the French word for popcorn?

Allen Antone speaking

Kathy Staab greeted guests, and Salve Regina’s Dean de la Motte, V.P of Academic Affairs, and Allen Antone were on hand to introduce the film, and announce that the venue next year may be the famed Stanford White-designed Casino Theater, currently being renovated. “History is just around the corner,” he said. Next year, the festival will seek sponsorships, and charge a small admission. Ms. Antone thanked the evening’s sponsors.

Seen were Sister Therese Antone; Ruth Orthwein; John Sawicki; Alyce Wright and Stevie Worthington, who have their own French discussion group; members of the Alliance Francaise of Newport (Freda MacLeod, President, was cited in the introduction); Ellen Plunkett; Salve’s Stephanie Savage; and Esther Bernstein.

Kathy Staab & Dean de la Motte

A sold-out audience spilled into the balcony for the award-winning film (8 international nominations) which depicted the divergent paths of three forty-something siblings, who collide when their mother, heiress to her uncle’s exceptional art collection, dies suddenly. Juliette Binoche, who was in Newport filming “Dan in Real Time” a few years ago, gave a luminous and believable performance in a rich, tangled tale of generations, possessions, accessions, and inheritance.

Ruth Orthwein, Esther Bernstein & Renata Adams

A reception hosted by the Alliance Francaise will take place at the O’Hare Academic Center on March 21. For a schedule of upcoming films in the series, go to www.Salve.edu, search French Film Festival