EVENT SPOTLIGHT

A FRENCH AFFAIR

WJLA-TV/ABC7 movie master Arch Campbell reminisces fondly about his 1967 Mustang,
historic District theaters and films that change your life

BY ARCH CAMPBELL

Imet the very charming C'est Chic D.C. French Film Festival founder, Lysbeth Sherman just a few minutes after the final frame of La Vie En Rose when it premiered this spring at the Lincoln Theatre as the opening night entry of Filmfest D.C. The audience jumped to their feet and cheered this stirring celebration of the art and life of singer Edith Piaf. I glanced at the lady next to me and said, "What a wonderful movie!" Ms. Sherman smiled and informed me she had planned several nights of similarly wonderful films for the D.C. French Film Festival, and that I should participate. No man in his right mind turns down a request from a charming French woman, and no film lover passes up a chance to see the latest from the always exuberant French film industry. "Count me among those present," I responded.

The French have a knack for telling stories without inhibition. French films feel more like real life to me than do their American counterparts. Early in my life, I discovered Francois Truffant's Jules and Jim and have held that film in my heart ever since. Made in 1961, it tells a lighter-than-air story of love, friendship and changing alliances between one headstrong woman and two men. A few years ago, I mentioned it to some high school students interviewing me for a journalism class. They sent me their article, which quoted my love of "Jewels and Gems." I hope they discovered "Jules and Jim" in their college years, and I recommend a DVD viewing if you missed it.

The French film that captured my heart a few years later was one of the coolest romance films ever, A Man and a Woman.This year's festival will honor director Claude Lelouch, who won the 1966 Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for this very same film. The man roared through

the countryside in a Mustang convertible; the woman looked soulful from the passenger seat; the couple became soulmates, and I dreamed one day that would happen to me. In college, I drove a 1967 Mustang - no doubt because of this film's influence — the soulmate search took decades. I imagine Claude Lelouch hears these stories all the time, so I'm keeping this one to myself, but I will be listening intently when he speaks at this year's festival.

When I arrived in Washington in the 1970's, our town enjoyed several small theaters showcasing foreign films and, especially, French ones. Many of those theaters have vanished, but thankfully the Avalon remains a large but intimate screen and a wonderful venue for this festival. After all these years, I still enjoy watching movies, but I grow a little tired of the big blockbusters filled with special effects trying to make more money than the one that opened the previous week. The D.C. French Film festival promises night after night of tiny marvels — in fact, I'm looking forward to seeing several jewels and gems to add to my French film memories that began with "Jules and Jim."