Our 5 cinema experiences to live

The La Rochelle Cinema Festival (Fema) is held until July 7 in the Old Port. In addition to films, people come there to live experiences in contact with filmmakers, actresses and specialists. Here are five which can also sum up the spirit of a film-loving event that is more eclectic and accessible than it seems.

1 Remembering Chantal Akerman

The Belgian filmmaker (1950-2015) left her mark on a whole generation of film buffs, notably with “Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles”, a political film about the alienating domestic daily life of a woman raising her child alone, but also with “La Paresse” or “La Captive”. The ambition of this retrospective that Fema is dedicating to her this year is of course to (re)discover one, two or ten films out of the 19 films proposed to celebrate this leading figure of a social and intimate cinema. But it is also spending time in the company of those who knew her well, like one of her favorite actresses, Aurore Clément, who will read “Une famille à Bruxelles” (Friday July 5, 3:30 p.m. in the blue room) or her editor, Claire Atherton, during a round table on Friday July 5 at 11:15 a.m., Théâtre Verdière.

2 Dancing with Natalie Wood

We have all seen one day or another these masterpieces of Hollywood cinema, from “The Fury of Living” to “The Prisoner of the Desert”, from “Fever in the Blood” to “West Side Story” but not necessarily on the big screen and in a large hall of 1,000 seats, which of course promises a little extra thrill. Thank you to the retrospectives, the DNA of the festival, which allows us to celebrate a black and white filmography too often seen on TV, in the company of other fans. Without forgetting the round table on Sunday July 7 at 11:30 a.m. at the Verdière theater with expert experts on the Hollywood star.

3 Be the first

The Fema team returned with a good thirty previews from the last Cannes festival, including a few awards (“Les Graines du figuier sauvage” by Mohammad Rasoulof, Special Jury Prize, “All we imagine as light” by Payal Kapadia, Grand Jury Prize). It may be a detail for you, but what a satisfaction to see certain films before everyone else, just to discover a film without really knowing what to expect or being influenced by the critics! For us, it will be for example “A son image” by Thierry de Peretti and “Le Roman de Jim”, the latest from the Larrieu brothers expected Tuesday July 2 at 5 p.m., at the Dragon 5.

4 Vibrate here and now

Sometimes you need to know what goes on behind the scenes, family stories, life’s dramas… to experience certain screenings even more intensely. The evening during which “Ma vie ma gueule” will be screened, directed by Sophie Fillières, who died suddenly in 2023 just as she was finishing her film, should be one of the highlights. An evening that promises to be intense, especially since the actress Agnès Jaoui, the central character in “Ma vie Ma gueule”, her children Agathe and Adam Bonitzer, her producer Julie Salvador and her mixer Jean-Pierre Laforce, who had promised her to finish her last film, will be present. See you on Friday, July 5 at 8 p.m., in the main theater.

5 Conversation with Benjamin Naishtat

The young Argentine director returns to La Rochelle to present his latest feature film “El Profesor”, a scathing comedy about two academics with opposing personalities who are running for the same position. The plus for La Rochelle festival-goers: the possibility of meeting Benjamin Naishtat, this Sunday June 30 at 11 a.m., at the Verdière theater, a meeting hosted by the critic and journalist Xavier Leherpeur. For a good hour, we attend a film class as much as an intimate conversation. It’s always exciting and you shouldn’t be afraid to open the door to an appointment that doesn’t require any specific skills from the director. You just have to let yourself be lulled by a vision, an aesthetic and committed words. And it’s free.