B/W French Pseduo Art Film Name?

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That elusive hide-and-seek cow is at it again
*edit* typo in the title: pseudo. Title did not seem to update.


I watched a film at my university "free movie" night back between 1998-2002ish? I honestly cannot say if this movie was an older film chosen as part of some weekly movie-night theme, or if it was a contemporary film made just to look older.

It was black and white, french (I could be wrong on that point as memory slants with age!) with English sub-titles, and the film seemed relatively minimal in regard to set pieces. From what I remember, the story was of a man who apparently was a well known film director, at least within the film. Many of the scenes that I can remember all revolved around a small group of artistic mid/upper-class friends and couples sitting in a living room space talking of film and art, eventually drifting into a tangent of asking the man if he was working on anything new. If he was, they would pressure him into allowing them to see his work. He seemed reclusive and slightly annoyed by the group's pushing. Perhaps he suffered from some type of artist mental break. He at least seemed OCD and terribly protective of his work.

As far as I can remember, the ending was of this director finally playing his film for a small audience. The film he had created looked to be candid shots of his friends talking to each other maybe having secretly filmed them at their parties throughout the film. As his film played on, you could see that the man had altered the film by applying hand-drawn colorful lines that would appear. For example, as a woman was talking, he might have drawn a squiggly pair of glasses over her eyes. After a cut to another person speaking, he drew lines projecting from the speaker's eyes. These marks were all in color, overlaying the black and white film he had recorded. I think the color, weight, and number of lines increased as the film progressed getting more intense and scribbly until the film ended.

For whatever reason, I have the impression that the film he created was more or less meant to mock his friends but I really have no idea. I believe the group might have been shocked, or even offended but I do not remember a reaction. Just silence.

I am hoping that this may be some type of film school standard, as I cannot imagine why my state uni chose to play such an obscure film, but who knows. Maybe someone out there can put to rest this beast.

thanks in advance!


- me.



That elusive hide-and-seek cow is at it again
Bump for great justice. My first post! Ever!!

Still looking for this one if anyone can help. =D



That elusive hide-and-seek cow is at it again
Le bump.
Still looking for that blue jean baby black and white french flick.


...queen



I'm still so very ashamed of my title typo.



Sorry yin, I don't watch 'paedo art fillums'



edit: My bad - iggy this post, completely misread the mistype



Sorry if I'm rude but I'm right
Sounds great.

I'd look into Lettrist movies, but I have actually seen most of them, and the plot doesn't sound familiar. It's a huge stretch, and 99% not it, but maybe Venom and Eternity? Another unlikely idea is Irma Vep, but, again, the artifcats that show up aren't in color:



I have a weird hunch it might be some experimental film by Pierre Clémenti, but those of his I've seen are in color all throughout.
__________________
Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.



freedom~empathy~peace
If this was an 'art' film, we're probably looking for a short movie, right?
Was it super short, like a five minute type thing?.....or something longer, with more time for character development and that kind of thing?



Some of it sounds a bit like 8½ (1963).



That elusive hide-and-seek cow is at it again
If this was an 'art' film, we're probably looking for a short movie, right?
Was it super short, like a five minute type thing?.....or something longer, with more time for character development and that kind of thing?

It was longer. At least half an hour. That was about how much of it I caught of the end as it was already playing when I walked in. I don't know how much longer it was though.



That elusive hide-and-seek cow is at it again
Some of it sounds a bit like 8½ (1963).
Thanks for the reference. The one I'm remembering had lower contrast in the b/w tones. It also was not nearly as well staged or produced. This one was more what I would expect from French New Wave (at least based on my understanding of it from Wikipedia's description). Shots were loose, close up, panning off characters as they spoke. It felt hand held and even documentary some. Shots that I remember were all within an apartment room with maybe seven or so people casually talking to each other.

Your clip reminded me that I do believe the main character (the film maker) had similar glasses and hair color.



That elusive hide-and-seek cow is at it again
Sounds great.

I'd look into Lettrist movies, but I have actually seen most of them, and the plot doesn't sound familiar. It's a huge stretch, and 99% not it, but maybe Venom and Eternity? Another unlikely idea is Irma Vep, but, again, the artifcats that show up aren't in color:



I have a weird hunch it might be some experimental film by Pierre Clémenti, but those of his I've seen are in color all throughout.
Interesting clip, Thanks.
Yes, it was similar to the lines projecting from her eyes in that clip, but lines of color.

As far as I can remember, there was no action or really even drama. It was all quite minimal of just a group of friends talking art. The film maker stayed mostly to himself apart from the others. Maybe he was there under obligation or just preoccupied with anxiety from lack of inspiration with his project that everyone continued to ask about. As if he felt not good enough.

There MAY have been a potential love interest? Either one of the girls asked him out or he asked her. Not sure about that.

Age of everyone gosh ...30s? Hard to remember if the actors were older but playing younger characters or what. This was beyond college as i believe everyone had artistic or influential careers. They were all socially comfortable it seems by their dialogue. That is partly why I felt the film the guy finally created might have been mocking the group. Talking the talk but not walking the walk, so to speak.