¾¨Ó㴫ý

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - ¾¨Ó㴫ý's Departments of Modern Languages and English, in conjunction with the Jake Erhardt International Film Series, will host  ¾¨Ó㴫ý's second Tournées Film Festival, a series of French and Francophone films to be shown on consecutive Tuesdays, Jan. 29-Feb. 26, at 7 p.m. in the Sebastian Mueller Theater of the McKelvey Campus Center.  The events are free to the public.

The five contemporary films will be subtitled in English with each screening followed by a discussion.

Opening the festival Jan. 29 is Les Femmes Du 6ème-Étage (The Woman on the 6th Floor), directed by Philippe Le Guay.

Set in Paris in 1962, the film centers on the transformation of third-generation stockbroker Jean- Louis, a self-centered businessman who starts to discover his altruistic side after he's made aware of the grave hardships endured by the half-dozen Spanish refugees who live above him. Jean-Louis soon learns there's much more to life than turning a profit in this film about friendship across class and language divides.

Additional films are: Le Gamin Au Velo (The Kid with a Bike), Feb. 5; Joueuse (Queen to Play), Feb. 12; Un Homme Qui Crie (A Screaming Man), Feb. 19; and Une Vie De Chat (A Cat in Paris), Feb. 26.

The festival is supported by a grant from the French-American Cultural Exchange in partnership with the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, the French Ministry of Culture, the Florence Gould Foundation, the Grand Marnier Foundation, and Highbrow Entertainment. ¾¨Ó㴫ý is one of only 40 colleges and universities nationwide to receive a grant for the Spring Semester.

¾¨Ó㴫ý faculty involved in planning and organizing the festival are: Régine Ananou, visiting lecturer of Spanish; Dr. Jeffrey Bersett, associate professor of Spanish and chair of ¾¨Ó㴫ý's Department of Modern Languages; Dr. Leslie Kealhofer, visiting assistant professor of French; and Dr. Deborah Mitchell, professor of English; and Dr. Ann Murphy, associate professor of French. 

Alexander Weil, a senior French and music major, is also involved in planning the festival. Weil is a son of Susan Roop of Prospect and a graduate of Slippery Rock Area High School.

Contact Kealhofer at (724) 946-6260 or email for additional information.  Visit www.westminster.edu/frenchfilm for additional information about the festival and the films.