Jul 12, 2010
SFFILM
Army of Crime (L’armée du crime, France 2009) Robert Guédiguian’s lush historical drama focusing on a largely overlooked cell of French Resistance fighters led by French Armenian poet Missak Manouchian and his wife Mélinée opens Friday, August 20 on SFFS Screen at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas.
“This is France. Nothing can happen to us here. It’s the land of human rights.” So counsels a foreign-born mother to her distraught son, a bright young Jewish communist harassed by fellow students all too willing to collaborate with the Nazi forces occupying Paris in 1941. His principal declares the school neutral in politics, but the young man-one of several real-life unsung heroes of the French Resistance memorialized in Robert Guédiguian’s lush historical drama Army of Crime-responds correctly, “No one can be neutral now.” Guédiguian (The Last Mitterrand, SFIFF 2005) bases his taut thriller on a largely overlooked cell of resistance fighters, refugees of the antifascist fight throughout Europe, most of whom were Jews and communists, led by French Armenian poet Missak Manouchian (Simon Abkarian), whose written words powerfully undergird the narrative. Told in flashback from 1944, after most have been arrested and face execution, the story proper begins amid growing local resistance and German reprisals. With the Gestapo closing in, we are drawn into the work and personal lives of a circle of fearless, brazenly idealistic young men and women-including Manouchian’s wife, Mélinée (Virginie Ledoyen), who survives the war-their varying backgrounds insignificant beside a mutual refusal to back down to injustice. The tyrannical regime deems them an “army of crime,” but Guédiguian shows them as exemplary, emblematic martyrs to France and, indeed, universal human rights. -Robert Avila, San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
Written by Serge Le Péron, Gilles Taurand, Robert Guédiguian. Photographed by Pierre Milon. With Virginie Ledoyen, Simon Abkarian, Jean-Pierre Dorroussin, Robinson Stévenin. In French with English subtitles. 133 min. Distributed by Kino Lorber.
For screeners and interviews contact hilary@sffs.org
For photos and press materials visit: http://www.sffs.org/pressdownloads
At the Sundance Kabuki all seats are reserved and an amenities fee is in effect for most shows. Tickets are available through the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas box office, at kiosks in the lobby and online at sundancecinemas.com/kabuki with print-at-home capability. San Francisco Film Society members receive discounted admission only to SFFS Screen programs and only at the box office, not online or at the lobby kiosks.
Also coming to SFFS Screen
July 30: Alamar Pedro González-Rubio’s lovingly made story of the growing bond between a father and son who are spending a summer together on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, demonstrates exquisite poetry and sophisticated craft.
August 6: Making Plans for Lena In Christophe Honoré’s latest work a family weekend in the Breton countryside spirals out of control for recent divorcée Lena (Chiara Mastroianni) when her mother invites her ex over without her knowledge in this New Wave-inspired look at a woman on the verge.
August 13: Vengeance Johnnie To’s genre-busting gem populated by a hit man turned chef, family men moonlighting as assassins and earnestly official women detectives stars Johnny Hallyday, the iconic French crooner who exudes cool.
For full, complete and up-to-date information on all SFFS Screen programming, including buying tickets, visit sffs.org. Information and tickets are also available at sundancecinemas.com.