Film Noir at the Fez Film Festival

The second edition of the Fez Film Festival is all about Film noir. Running over three days (1, 2 & 3 June), at 17h and 19h30, the screenings take place at Cinema Rex. Prices are very reasonable; members and students: 10 dh and non-members: 20 dh

Click on programme to enlarge

Film noir is the cinematic term used initially to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations, which then influenced similar films in other countries. Hollywood's classic Film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s. Film noir of this era is associated with a low-key black-and-white visual style that has roots in German Expressionist cinematography. Many of the typical stories and much of the attitude of classic noir derive from the hardboiled school of crime fiction that emerged in the United States during the Depression.

The term Film noir, French for "black film", first applied to Hollywood films by French critic Nino Frank in 1946, was unknown to most American film industry professionals of the classic era. Cinema historians and critics defined the noir canon in retrospect. Before the notion was widely adopted in the 1970s, many of the classic Film noir works were referred to as melodramas. The question of whether Film noir qualifies as a distinct genre is a matter of ongoing debate among scholars.

And, for those who would like to find out more there will be a discussion after every screening.

The Fez Film Festival is an initiative of the French Institute in Fez - http://www.institutfrancaisfes.com/

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