Film & TV Lunch Club: September 2023 - For the Love of Language
Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Daisies, System Crasher
As mentioned in August’s Club Vault post, 26 September is European Day of Languages, the inspiration for this month’s theme. It’s easy to forget that beyond English speaking films there is a whole other world of cinema to explore, and those that can’t quite get past the one-inch barrier are missing out (so says Bong Joon Ho).
I will be in Paris on the date above (and yes, I will be trying my best to put my Duolingo lessons into practice) so maybe that’s why French films dominate the list slightly (or maybe it’s just because I love them), but I also couldn’t believe that POALOF hadn’t been part of a selection yet and this feels like the right time to include it. That said, I would always encourage anyone to seek the entire filmography of Céline Sciamma.
Here’s the September selection and long list - they are all films directed by women, just to narrow it down a little further:
🎞 September Selection 🎞
Official Trailer: Portrait of a Lady on Fire | Neon | Dir. Céline Sciamma
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019; Dir. Céline Sciamma) - French
On an isolated island in Brittany at the end of the eighteenth century, a female painter is obliged to paint a wedding portrait of a young woman.Currently streaming on Netflix.
Daisies (1966; Dir. Vera Chytilová) - Czech
After realizing that all world is spoiled, Marie and Marie are committed to be spoiled themselves. They rip off older men, feast in lavish meals and do all kinds of mischief. But what is all this leading to?Currently streaming on BFI Player.
System Crasher (2019; Dir. Nora Fingscheidt) - German
9-year-old Benni is a toss-up between institutions that cannot tackle her outbursts. She wants to move in with her mother, but she can not handle her wild daughter. After Micha is hired Benni slowly opens up and attaches herself to him.
Rent or buy from Apple, Google or Amazon.
🎬 The Long List: Optional Extras 🎬
Other notable films suggested for the theme:
Varda by Agnès - Agnès Varda, photographer, installation artist and pioneer of the Nouvelle Vague, is an institution of French cinema. Taking a seat on a theatre stage, she uses photos and film excerpts to provide an insight into her unorthodox oeuvre.
Piggy - An overweight teen is bullied by a clique of cool girls poolside while holidaying in her village. The long walk home will change the rest of her life.
Palazzo di giustizia - While a trial involving murder, manslaughter and armed robbery is being conducted inside the courtroom, the two daughters of the accused are sentenced to wait outside in the hallway.
Corsage - A fictional account of one year in the life of Empress Elisabeth Of Austria. On Christmas Eve 1877, Elisabeth, once idolized for her beauty, turns 40 and is officially deemed an old woman; she starts trying to maintain her public image.
Mustang - When five orphan girls are seen innocently playing with boys on a beach, their scandalized conservative guardians confine them while forced marriages are arranged.
Titane - Following a series of unexplained crimes, a father is reunited with the son who has been missing for 10 years.
Saint Omer - Follows Rama, a novelist who attends the trial of Laurence Coly at the Saint-Omer Criminal Court to use her story to write a modern-day adaptation of the ancient myth of Medea, but things don't go as expected.
The Quiet Girl - Rural Ireland 1981. A quiet, neglected girl is sent away from her dysfunctional family to live with foster parents for the summer. She blossoms in their care, but in this house where there are meant to be no secrets, she discovers one.
Summer 1993 - After her mother's death, six-year-old Frida is sent to her uncle's family to live with them in the countryside. But Frida finds it hard to forget her mother and adapt to her new life.
Open Hearts - A Dogme film about an engaged couple that is torn apart after the man is paralyzed in an accident, and the woman falls in love with the husband of the woman who caused the accident.
🔜 Next Month 🔜
The theme for October will be SPOOKY GIRLS so expect a Halloween list with a twist. Please drop your recommendations for this in the comments or on Insta!