It's been an exciting month covering this 29th instalment of the French Film Festival UK. I feel privileged to have attended some in-person screenings (France and Petite Maman), watched a few screeners (Robust and Promises), and enjoyed the return of more accessible streaming through fff@home (My Father's Stories and Fly Me Away).
In addition to all that, I had the opportunity to see Bruno Podalydès' latest film, French Tech (Les 2 Aldred), and submit some questions for the festival's interview with the man himself.
Festival co-director, Ilona Morison, was kind enough to merge my questions with her own, to provide some insight into this fascinating filmmaker. For those who'd like some extra context and information about the film, you can read my review of French Tech before diving into what he has to say.
Over the course of 20 minutes, Podalydès describes the nature of his collaboration with brother Denis, why he enjoys working with Sandrine Kiberlain, and some of the themes touched upon by the film. The interview was conducted in French, but the festival has created some handy subtitles for those (like me) who still need them.
Thanks again to Ilona, and the entire festival team, who have worked tirelessly over the last month (and, in fact, the last year) to bring these wonderful films and creators to us. You can find out more about the festival and the good work they do on their website: www.frenchfilmfestival.org.uk.