Every week, a group of disparate individuals from all over the world gather at the Bibliothèque publique d’information in Paris to practice conversational French. The conversations are initially polite and respectful until gradually, tensions and antagonisms begin to emerge as subtleties and nuances are lost in the struggle to speak a foreign language. Yet Bernard Braunstein’s film is a wonderfully benevolent and humane account of how we move beyond the limitations of language to discover and foster a sense of community and understanding in a foreign climate, as our ability to communicate is overshadowed by our need for empathy and companionship.
‘The film above all shows how the simplest of feelings, the feeling of loneliness in a strange city, nostalgia for your country and family, and the vital need to communicate, are common to all.’ - Fabien Lemercier, Cineuropa
French
English