Lost In Frenchlation

A History of Queer French Cinema with David Gerstner

The History of Queer French Cinema with David A. Gerstner This June, Paris gets a queer‑film takeover: David A. Gerstner is guest‑curating the Lost in Frenchlation screening series across art‑house theaters for Pride Month — all films shown with English subtitles. Want the perfect primer before you dive in? This episode is it. More Info on Tickets and Program HERE. [https://lostinfrenchlation.com/events/category/paris] David A. Gerstner is our brilliant guide: a published historian of cinema, professor at CUNY, and the author of multiple books and scholarly articles on film and queer culture. His sharp knowledge, warm humor, and infectious enthusiasm turn film history into a lively, unmissable ride. Hosts Alex Brook Lynn (ARBL Murray) and Manon Kerjean sit down with David to trace the stories of queer filmmakers and films in France across the 20th century. Read David's short essay on this series here. [https://substack.com/@nostalgiaandliquor/note/c-259968359] David A. Gerstner is a Professor of Cinema Studies at the City University of New York, Chevalier d’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and a prolific author of essays and writings on cinema, and queer culture. He is the author of 'Queer Imaginings: On Writing and Cinematic Friendship (2023)' and 'Christophe Honore: A Critical Introduction.' David's sharp knowledge, warm humor, and infectious enthusiasm make film history feel like the best kind of story, told by a friend in a cozy cafe somewhere.. From the Episode: Notable filmmakers: Germaine Dulac, Christophe Honoré, Jean Epstein, Jacqueline Audry David's short essay on the series: Queer French Cinema: A Historical Sketch [https://nostalgiaandliquor.substack.com/p/queer-french-cinema-a-historical] A few of David's books on Thrift Books [https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/david-a-gerstner/1006218/?srsltid=AfmBOoompxKbt9m2UWH1cHXYlw5an8G1BqUqQuShyeet6IqaC03hnzN1] For further reading on Queer culture during the Vichy occupation of France David recommends: Denis Quinqueton. ÉTUDE Loi du 6 août 1942. [https://www.jean-jaures.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Essai-Loi-1942.pdf] Richard Plant. The Pink Triangle: The Nazi War Against Homosexuals. [https://archive.org/details/pinktrianglen00plan]

The Lost Films of Alexandre Trannoy in L'Oeuvre invisible

This time on Lost in Frenchlation we talk with Vladimir Rodionov about his documentary which has been 15 years in the making. Vladmire and his co-director Avril Tembouret spent 15 years searching for any footage from a man who worked with famous actors, who shot a lot of projects but the films themselves never materialized and the footage, if there ever was, is lost without a trace. L'Oeuvre invisible traces the life of Alexandre Trannoy, an enigmatic filmmaker who, despite a 30 year career, never completed a single film. Through archives, interviews, and production traces, the doc attempts to understand this Don Quixote of cinema. This is the second time we Vladimir has been on the show. last time he was introducing a very different kind of film for Valentine's Day called ANGES & CIE, a romantic comedy about how angels guide people through and to love. L'Oeuvre invisible on IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt39398831/ [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt39398831/] Find out more about the cinema club Lost In Frenchlation on https://lostinfrenchlation.com/ [https://lostinfrenchlation.com/] Donate to World Radio Paris Here: https://worldradioparis.org/donate/ [https://worldradioparis.org/donate/] You can listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

The Women of Paris Fashion in 'Couture' with Alice Winocour

On this episode of Lost in Frenchlation, today we are talking to Alice Wincour who directed 'Couture' starring Angelina Jolie. It’s an intimate and artful look at some of the women behind Paris Fashion Week. Angelina Jolie plays a women named Maxine who is an indie horror director. Her career is about to take off, she is directing a film for a big Fashion House during Paris Fashion Week and has more opportunities on the horizon. She is suddenly diagnosed with a fast moving cancer. As the week progresses Maxine's story intersects with a model from South Sudan, a make up artist struggling to find her place, and a seamstress in love with the art of costume. This episode is hosted by Alex Brook Lynn and Manon Kerjean. This is the 2nd time Alice has been on the show. Check out her last episode here: For the film Revoir Paris about the 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris. https://rss.com/podcasts/lost-in-frenchlation/2463061/ [https://rss.com/podcasts/lost-in-frenchlation/2463061/] Couture on IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34688195/ [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34688195/] Find out more about the cinema club Lost In Frenchlation on https://lostinfrenchlation.com/ [https://lostinfrenchlation.com/] You can listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/lost-in-frenchlation-colors-of-time-with-suzanne/id1469688285?i=1000727622648] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2lWe1ULDKgzVFLBT2mpllH] Donate to World Radio Paris Here: https://worldradioparis.org/donate/ [https://worldradioparis.org/donate/]

Romantic French Socialism and An Architect Gone Mad in New Film 'The Great Arch'

A period film with all the juicy modern Paris architecture gossip! In this episode of Lost in Frenchlation, hosts ARBL Murray (Alex Brook Lynn) and Manon Kerjean are excited to delve into the film L'Inconnu de la Grande Arche or The Great Arche with director, Stéphane Demoustier. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St%C3%A9phane_Demoustier] The film takes place in the 1980s and is based on the true story about the building of The Great Arch at La Défense in Paris. It was to be a great achievement among The Grands Projects of socialist President Francois Mitterrand, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grands_Projets_of_Fran%C3%A7ois_Mitterrand] It was to become a part of the great views of Paris and to add to the sight line from the Arc de Triomphe. A Danish Architect, named Johan Otto von Spreckelson won a design competition and was awarded the project. His insistence on perfection and his clear vision butted up against the compromises needed in French bureaucracy, and of course in the mid eighties the realities of private interest eroding the sanctity of public projects. Under the weight of circumstance one man goes mad with his ambitions for lasting art and architecture. The film is based on the 2016 novel Le Grande Arche by Lawrence Cossé. Please consider donating to World Radio Paris so we can continue to make these radio shows and podcasts https://worldradioparis.org/donate/ [https://worldradioparis.org/donate/] For more information on Lost in Frenchlation, visit https://lostinfrenchlation.com [https://lostinfrenchlation.com/]

Valentine’s Day Special: Vladimir Rodionov on Anges & Cie

In this episode of Lost in Frenchlation, hosts ARBL Murray (Alex Brook Lynn) and Manon Kerjean sit down with filmmaker Vladimir Rodionov at the Luminor Theater during a special Valentine’s Day screening of his romantic comedy Anges & Cie (Angels & Company / Angels Inc.). Set in a world where everyone has a personal angel, the film treats love like a workplace: angels are assigned “clients,” they follow you through every awkward, intimate moment, and they try (sometimes badly) to steer your life from above. At the center are two almost-lovers who keep colliding and missing each other, while their angels clash like rivals in a buddy comedy. But what happens when a few angels go off-script and decide to let love get messy on its own? Vladimir breaks down the long road of making a first feature (nearly a decade from idea to release), why he’s obsessed with “high concept” premises you can sum up in one sentence (“what if angels were real?”), and how he built a world where angels operate like a bureaucratic company: hovering behind you, influencing choices, and sometimes giving truly terrible advice. The conversation goes deeper than the rom-com label: intuition vs. destiny, “signs” that kept him going while the film was hard to finance/cast, whether a darker sequel could exist, and how love can be a surprise that pulls you outside your bubble. They also talk about modern romance in the age of apps (love as an “algorithm” vs. chaos), how movies shape the way we understand love, and what French cinema offers beyond couple-dom: friendship, empathy, and stories for anyone spending Valentine’s Day solo. Please consider donating to World Radio Paris so we can continue to make these radio shows and podcasts https://worldradioparis.org/donate/ [https://worldradioparis.org/donate/] For more information on Lost in Frenchlation, visit https://lostinfrenchlation.com [https://lostinfrenchlation.com]