Cinema Passeio in João Pessoa launches free French film showcase

The public Cinema Passeio, Brazil's first municipal cinema located in the Torre neighbourhood of João Pessoa, is hosting a free French film showcase throughout July and into early August. Organized by the city’s cultural foundation Funjope in partnership with the French Embassy, the Institut Français de Cinéma and the Alliance Française, the programme offers free screenings Friday to Sunday and includes a conversation with filmmaker Bertrand Lira, documentarian João de Lima and director Mariana Silveira on the influence of French cinema on Paraíba's audiovisual scene.

The schedule features classic and contemporary French titles such as Michel Ocelot’s animated feature “As aventuras de Azur e Asmar”, Mathieu Kassovitz’s drama “O Ódio”, Alain Resnais’s “Hiroshima Meu Amor”, Georges Franju’s “Os olhos sem rosto”, Ocelot’s “O Faraó, o Selvagem e a Princesa” and Wanuri Kahiu’s “Rafiki”. Executive director Marcus Alves of Funjope highlighted the project’s aim to develop local audiences and raise João Pessoa’s cultural profile nationally and internationally.