If we ask the general public to name French directors, perhaps they will struggle to go beyond the same 5-6 names. And there is little chance that she will quote Euzhan Palcy, although she is a pioneer in many ways. Indeed, this 65-year-old from Martinique has established herself as the first French director to receive the César for best first film (Rue Cases-Nègres, 1984). She is also the second French woman to receive an honorary career-long Oscar in 2022 (after Agnès Varda in 2018). This prestigious American award was the opportunity for France to (re)discover this immense filmmaker. The Center Pompidou is even dedicating a retrospective to him from 8 to 19 November 2023 to be able to (re)see his cinema on the big screen.
The Center Pompidou screens the great films and documentaries of Euzhan Palcy during a retrospective event
Born in Martinique in 1958, Euzhan Palcy developed a passion for cinema at a very young age, particularly British cinema, and graduated from the Louis Lumière school. He presents his first television film, The messengerat just 17 years old, before directing his first feature film, Rue Cases-Nègres (1983). The second, he does it exactly in Hollywood, A white and dry seasonwith Marlon Brando, who became the only woman to ever film this film sex symbol. His third fiction film, Simeon (1992), features members of the group Kassav questioning West Indian culture through music. He then made two films for television: The fight at Ruby Bridge (1998), therefore The courtyard of the murders (2001).
Many of these films will therefore be presented at the Center Pompidou, together with the filmmaker’s documentaries: Aimé Césaire, a voice for history (1994) e Journey of the dissidents (2005). This proposal to rediscover the rich, always busy filmography of Euzhan Palcy (in the company of him for most of the screenings) also coincides with the programming ” On the front lines, 1983-2023: 40 years of fighting racism » proposed by the Parisian museum on the occasion of the forty years of the March for equality and against racism (held from 15 October to 3 December 1983).
Retrospective “Euzhan Palcy, Journey of a Pioneer” from 8 to 19 November 2023 at the Center Pompidou (Place Georges-Pompidou, 75004 Paris)
Discover BookClub, Madmoizelle’s show that questions society through books, in the company of those who make them.
Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
