By Dave Robertson
Dr. Martine Motard-Noar and the Department of Foreign Languages proudly presents a French Film Festival, which will run once a week through October 7.
Having acquired an $1,800 grant from the Cultural Services of the French Embassy and the French Ministry of Culture, Motard-Noar has given students the opportunity to view a variety of modern films which include documentary, drama, and comedy, with topics ranging from World War I to life in Monasteries.
To receive the grant, applicants could only be in places of higher education—namely private or public colleges or universities. McDaniel now proudly sits among a list of prestigious schools such as Stanford University, the University of Pennsylvania, Boston College, and the College of William and Mary, to name a few, which host similar film series across the country.
Having a film series on campus is nothing new. Unfortunately, horrendous rental, copyright, and projection fees from film distributors have kept these festivals from debuting on campus for the last 10 years, says Motard-Noar. And it is irrelevant that students are not charged to view the films.
For this, the grant saves the day. She also happily states that the grant may be repeated for up to five years. This adds a more formal flare to more regular casual showings (screenings?) of films on campus that are part of other language sections, clubs and houses.
Advertising for the festival has also proved a challenge since most students do not read campus-wide emails. Therefore, information can be found on the school’s website under “Hill Happenings” and the News and Events heading on the main page.
Besides benefiting her French Cinema class, Motard-Noar says, “I hope it will please a lot of audiences.”
–FP