Friday, 18 October 2024 at 6 pm
Chocolat
Claire Denis | France, 1988 | 105 min | French with English subtitles | Rated PG
A French woman returns to her childhood home in Cameroon, a colonial outpost where she grew up during the final days of French rule. On the journey, she remembers the complex relationships she experienced there more than 30 years previously. “Newly restored, Claire Denis’s quasi-autobiographical “Chocolat,” a child’s-eye view of French colonialism, is austere yet vivid.” (The New York Times)
“In her amazingly assured debut, Clare Denis draws out the implications of the action with great subtlety. She makes the most of the exotic location and elicits strong performances from all her cast. Abdullah Ibrahim’s excellent score enhances the atmosphere of repression and frustration.” (Time Out)
“Chocolat” is a deliberately beautiful film – many of the frames create breathtaking compositions – but it is not a travelogue and it is not a love story. It is about how racism can prevent two people from looking each other straight in the eyes, and how they punish each other for the pain that causes them.” (Roger Ebert)
From a New 4K restoration.
Tickets: Book your tickets online or contact 0131 285 6030
(A ‘Season Pass’ is also available: 5 films for £30, which saves £10 on the regular price!)
Leaflet: French Cinema Season 2024-2025
Location:
Institut français d’Écosse (French Institute of Scotland)
Salle Emilienne Moreau-Evrard (1st Floor)
West Parliament Square
Edinburgh EH1 1RF
(The Institut français d’Écosse is fully accessible with step-free access.)
The French Cinema Season is being held in partnership with the Institut français d’Écosse (French Institute of Scotland). Founded in 1946, the Institut français d’Ecosse is a cultural centre promoting the French language and culture in Scotland. It is part of the wider Institut Français network around the world, which is administered by the French Foreign Ministry.