Soirée Francophone
Film
ATIVIO (c) Naomi Amarger
Villa Albertine D.C. is thrilled to host a Soirée de la Francophonie, featuring a screening and filmmakers’ Q&A of the films “Ativio” and “Nocturno,” in partnership with the Embassy of Luxembourg.
This event is made possible thanks to the support of TV5 Monde.
Program
Opening words by Gilled Bauer, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Luxembourg
Nocturno, directed by Isabel Rivero-Vilá (55mn)
Q&A with Elizabeth Lang and Isabel Rivero-Vilá (20mn)
Luzmila, musical interlude by pianist Yuhan Li and cellist Nina Grygiel, composed by Belgian-Luxembourgish composer and conductor, Rudi De Bouw for the film Nocturno (6mn)
Q&A with Juliette Boucheny and Isabel Rivero-Vilá (10mn)
Ativio, directed by Juliette Boucheny (27mn)
Learn more about the films and their directors below.
Nocturno
Carmen, an elderly pianist, struggles every day after a serious fall, and slowly regains hope thanks to new friendships and a piano composition written specially for her. The film explores the challenges of illness, old age, and the power of music in regaining hope.
Nocturno is produced by Ocean Heart Production, a film company that strives to tell stories that bring multicultural identities and artistic expressions to life.
About the Filmmaker
This film is directed by Isabel Rivero-Vilá, who will attend the screening.
Isabel is a Professor of French at American University (Washington, DC) and an independent filmmaker. She was recently named Chevalier de l’ordre des Palmes Académiques by the Ministère de l’Éducation Nationale in France for her work promoting the French language and Francophone cultures.
A specialist in West African cinema, she holds a PhD in Francophone Cinema and Multimedia and a Master’s degree in Creative Documentary. Isabel Rivero-Vilá has filmed and produced the web doc series “5 mois à Nantes, ville vivante” and several short films and video interviews with artists, politicians, musicians, and educators in Senegal.
Her first feature documentary film “AFRYKAS et la boîte magique” (2022) filmed in Senegal, has received numerous awards internationally in festivals in Cannes, Paris, Venice, Amsterdam, London, Dallas, Toronto, Helsinki, and Berlin. It has also been nominated in festivals in San Diego, Cape Verte, Houston, Geneva, and Montreal.
She regularly collaborates with fellow filmmakers and organizes film festivals in Washington DC in collaboration with the French Embassy to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion through film.
Ativio
Guénolé, an 11-year-old boy, lives in a remote village called Agotimé Adamé, three hours from Lomé in Togo, West Africa. He has a strong musical sensitivity and dreams of playing the piano. Despite not having a piano, he manages to practice.
About the Filmmaker
Juliette Boucheny is an actor, screenwriter, and director, who divides her time between France and Togo. She studied Drama at the Ecole du Jeu in Paris, then learned screenwriting and production by working on various film series created by Groupe Elephant. Inspired by her grandmother, her first short film, Perle, tackles the subjects of femininity and desire in the last few days of a woman’s life. This first project received a residency grant from CNC (National Centre of Cinematography). Her second film project Ativio, filmed in Togo, was awarded the ‘Best Screenplay’ award at the Festival Côté Court 2020 in Paris.
Security Rules: Each person attending the event must have a ticket registered in their name and a government-issued ID matching the name on the reservation in order to enter the Embassy. Print tickets are not required, but no one will be admitted without a reservation and proper ID. Due to strict security measures, please arrive on time and allow for extra time for the security screening.
