Fresno Filmworks

“Leclerc pays such lavish homage, in the construction of his film, to golden-age Allen; the moments at which a bewildered Arthur consults his teen-age self could have come straight out of “Annie Hall.” – New Yorker

“Forestier’s performance is a tour de force of comic acting, maintaining astonishing alertness and energy from shot to shot and scene to scene.” – San Francisco Chronicle

“‘The Names of Love’ is a delight, a thinking person’s romantic comedy which delves into the more shameful aspects of recent French history, the Arab/Jewish conflict, immigration and the ways people define themselves in a different culture.” – Reeling Reviews

 

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Synopsis

This French comedy was an opening night selection at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. The movie tells the story of Baya, a young and introverted Algerian woman who lives by the old hippie slogan, “Make love, not war,” to convert right-wing men to her left-wing political causes by sleeping with them. She seduces many and achieves exceptional results – until she meets Arthur, a middle-aged Jewish scientist who carries several generations worth of guilt on his shoulders. Bound by tragic family histories, the two improbably fall in love, testing the boundaries of Arab-Jewish relations, anti-Semitism, immigration, and racial and cultural identity. The film won two César Awards – the French Oscars – including best actress for rising star Sara Forestiere. Screening sponsor: L’Alliance Française de Fresno

Directed by Michel Leclerc
Franch, 35mm, 100 mins
In French, with English subtitles.