France Goes Pop!

Now-Sept. 2 @ The Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theater

Oh to be French in the ’60s and ’70s – those wispy bangs, the incessant chain-smoking (not that I’m in any way condoning it) and untamed sexuality casually out in the open (again, not condoning it). There’s a reason the word “nonchalant” is used beyond the boundaries of France. Experience it all through the screen at the France Goes Pop! film series hosted by the Cinefamily and co-presented by Cinespia. It celebrates the “golden era of super-fun French fashion, tunes, art, architecture and a brilliant whirlwind of cutting-edge filmmaking – all tied together with by a funky backbeat and a wispy ribbon of cigarette smoke.”

Still not convinced? Just google images of Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin, and it would be hard for you to find any current celebrity that screams “très cool” as much as they do.

On Aug. 26 at 8pm, there will be a free sneak preview of Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life, the latest biopic about the late French poet, singer-songwriter, actor and director. The film will surely be a visual delight, as it was directed by celebrated comic book artist Joann Sfar based on his own bestselling graphic novel. Gainsbourg is played by Eric Elmosnino, as he lives a life filled with beautiful women, including Brigitte Bardot, France Gall, Boris Vian, Juliette Greco and of course, Jane Birkin, while treading on various musical genres in his career as a European pop musician. DJ Andy Votel will be there to provide music before and after the film, in addition to a live set by Paris Loves L.A.

Can’t get enough of beautiful ’60s and ’70s European pop stars? Gainsbourg was a pretty talented guy, but he is not without the ladies who sung his songs over the years. He had Birkin, Bardot, Catherine Deneuve, Anna Karina, Françoise Hardy, Gall, Greco, Isabelle Adjani, Marianne Faithfull, Vanessa Paradis and the list goes on. Gainbourg and the women in his life are chronicled in the documentary, Gainsbourg and His Girls, which will have its Los Angeles premiere on Aug. 27 at 6:15 p.m. The film was the hard-earned baby of writers Didier Varrod and Pascal Forneri who searched the archives of the Institut National Audiovisuel for nationally-owned French TV footage and interviews of Gainsbourg throughout the length of his career, some of which were conducted by other artists like Hardy and Birkin. Forneri will be at the Cinefamily for a Q&A after the screening. If you can’t make the premiere, there will be additional showings Aug. 30 through Sept. 2.

The Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theatre is located at 611 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles. For more information, visit cinefamily.org.

Psycho

Aug. 27 @ Hollywood Forever Cemetery

Summer is nearing to an end and before you know it, you’ll be needing an actual sweater to experience the evening out in the great outdoors. Celebrate the remnants of summer sans yards of wool at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery and catch a screening of the Alfred Hitchcock classic Psycho. Load your picnic baskets with food and drinks, bring your most comfortable blankets and watch Anthony Perkins murder Janet Leigh amongst famous graveyards and headstones underneath the stars. There will also be a DJ spinning before and after the showing to complete a fun, summer night out.

Hollywood Forever Cemetery is located at 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. For more information, visit cinespia.org.

Gus Van Sant’s Restless

Aug. 30 @ Landmark Theater

Let’s face it, summer is for watching fun, really entertaining films that are sometimes lacking in profound, life-changing-type substance. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, why not gain a little bit of balance by attending a special screening of Gus Van Sant’s Restless at Landmark Theater? He has directed other great films like Milk and Good Will Hunting, and this film stars Henry Hopper and Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland, The Kids Are Alright). Restless is about the story of two outsiders, one regularly sees a World War II Kamikaze pilot and the other a cancer patient, who meet at a funeral. Van Sant will be present for a Q&A after the screening, which is free for Film Independent members.

Landmark Theater is located at 10850 Pico Blvd., West Los Angeles. For more information, visit filmindependent.org.