Looking for a great weekend escape? Focus on French Cinema runs March 8-10 at the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College.

 

Looking for a great weekend escape? Focus on French Cinema runs March 8-10 at the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College. Twelve of the best contemporary French films will be screened during the festival, which is sponsored by the Alliance Francaise of Greenwich and Purchase College.

 

The festival opens with Claude Miller’s “Therese Desqueroux,” based on the novel by Francois Mauriac. Audrey Tautou stars in this arsenic-laced period piece.

 

After the film, head to the opening night gala and sip champagne donated by sponsor Perrier-Jouet and enjoy a feast of French cuisine by Les Maitres Cuisiniers de France and L’Academie Culinaire de France with invited dignitaries and friends. Stop by the Silent Auction and bid on everything from luxurious ski resort packages and yacht cruises to fabulous French wines and fashion.

 

The schedule continues with:

 

“38 Temoins,” which was inspired by the case of Kitty Genovese, the Queens, N.Y. woman brutally murdered in 1964 to the deaf ears of 38 witnesses;

 

“Rebelle,” the story of teenager who witnesses the slaughter of her entire village by rebels and is then forced to join their cause;

 

“War Witch,” which challenges and educates on the harsh realities of war;

 

“Adieu Berthe,” a caustic comedy on coping with the inevitable end;

 

“Renoir,” the closing film at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival;

 

“A Perdre La Raison,” a psychological thriller and Belgium’s entry into the 2013 Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language film;

 

“Comme un Lion,” a family film that follows a young and aspiring soccer player on a journey of twists and turns from Senegal to Paris;

 

“Becoming Traviata,” starring Natalie Dessay, provides a thought-provoking look on the opera itself and the transformation of an actress into her character;

 

“Marriage a Mendoza,” a comedic road flick about the adventures of two brothers on their way to a wedding in Argentina; and

 

Alain Resnais’ “Vous N’Avez Encore Rien Vu,” which was nominated for the 2012 Palme d’Or at Cannes.

 

For tickets, visit www.focusonfrenchcinema.org or call the Alliance Francaise office at 203-629-2301. Tickets are also available at The Performing Arts Center box office, 251-6200.