Washington City Paper: Contents for Apr. 7

The French Connection
The Washington City Paper's guide to the 14th Annual Washington, D.C., International Film Festival

Cover Story

The Washington City Paper's guide to the 14th Annual Washington, D.C., International Film Festival

What with Pierre, Marie, Pierette, Madeleine, Didier, Juliette, Aurelie, Jeannette...zut!...this year's Filmfest DC is the French film festival that refuses to call itself a French film festival. Filmfest directors Tony Gittens and Shirin Ghareeb are spinning the 2000 event as a spotlight on British and Turkish films (a plug-in to the Corcoran Museum of Art's "Treasures From the Topkapi" exhibit), but they present seven entries by Brits and exactly three features by Turks. Look more closely and you'll find 13 films made partly or entirely in France.

Unfurl the tricolor and crank up the Marseillaise? Easy does it. Godard and Bresson have no counterparts in Pascal Bonitzer (Rien sur Robert) and Marion Vernoux (Rien a Faire); come to think of it, you might want to cop a clue and avoid anything with "rien" in the title. Which is perhaps why the organizers wouldn't label this a French film festival: The French films don't add up to much. On the other hand, of the more than 70 films you can check out between now and the festival's April 16 closing night--35 of which were previewed by Washington City Paper film critics Arion Berger, Mark Jenkins, and Joel E. Siegel--you should probably focus on several that bear the French touch but are from countries such as Lebanon (Civilisees), Egypt (The Closed Doors), and Turkey (Harem Suare).... Continued

Issue of Apr. 7 - 13, 2000

News and Features

The French Connection
The Washington City Paper's guide to the 14th Annual Washington, D.C., International Film Festival
Cover Story By Joel E. Siegel, Mark Jenkins and Arion Berger
March
The City By Michael Schaffer
Head-Count Games
At census time, stretching the truth may help stretch D.C.'s checkbook.
The City By Michael Schaffer
Double Trouble
The new director of the city's detox program carries some familiar baggage.
The City By Stephanie Mencimer
Fare Justice?
At the D.C. Taxicab Commission, the customer is always--always--right.
The City By Elissa Silverman
Library of Congress
The City By Judith Larsen
The Slumlord Next Door
The city says Patrick and Kenneth Welch are among its most notorious slumlords, but their Blagden Alley neighbors love them.
The City By Stephanie Mencimer
Hallowed Ground
The Mail By Christopher C. Thorne
Seven Heaven
The Mail By LaShemma Cody
Burned Up
The Mail By Jim McLeod
Driving the Point Home
The Mail By Anonymous
Attitude Cop
The Mail By Grace Drucker
Deutsch Treat
The Mail By Jesse Salter
Poking Fun
The Mail By Greg Golem
Distinctly Smooth
The Mail By Brent Fleek

Columns

A Ray of Hope
Cheap Seats By Dave McKenna
Border Patrol
Loose Lips By Erik Wemple
Smells Like Preteen Spirit
City Desk By Robin Bingham
Urban Ruby
City Desk By Stephanie Mencimer
Hell Is for Jurors
City Desk By Annys Shin

Eats

Secondi to None
Young & Hungry By Brett Anderson

Movies

Kin Flicks
Film Review By Mark Jenkins

Music

Whole in the Center
Music Review By William Jelani Cobb
Outta Bounds
Music Review By Reuben Jackson
Everybody's Gettin' Fat
Music Review By Patrick Foster

Theater

In Love's Country
Theater Review By Bob Mondello

Arts and Events

To Hell With Fu Manchu
Within D.C.'s first Asian-American Theater Festival lurks a protest movement.
Arts By Amy Alipio
My Little Underground
Books By Glenn Dixon
The Prodigal Prince
Artifacts By Kevin Diaz
Ruthie Comes Alive
Artifacts By Dave Nuttycombe
What Makes a Jazz Legend Quickest?
Artifacts By Andrew Katz