Bonjour à toutes et à tous! Last week International Cinema showed a wonderful French film: La faute à Fidel. Directed by Julie Gavras, this film is set against the political and social turmoil of the 1960s and 70s and tells the story of a 9-year-old girl named Anna who lives a comfortable life, visiting her wealthy grandparents in Bordeaux, attending a posh Catholic school for girls, and passing the evenings with her beloved nanny Filomena. Her world is rudely turned upside down when her parents decide to take up the communist cause, and dedicate their time and resources to visits to Chile and women's liberation movements. Anna is not pleased about these changes (which entail moving into a small apartment, losing their nanny, and quitting divinity classes), and when her parents fail to explain their new world to her satisfaction, she sets out first to return life to normal, then tries to reconcile the differing world views of her parents, grandparents, and teachers.
La faute à Fidel is not only a compelling coming of age story; it is a beautifully made film. The sets and costumes are filled with brilliant color, not to mention fabulous plaid bell bottoms and other gems of 1970s couture. The cinematography is reminiscent of another French film, Ponette; each film is centered on the life of a little girl who has to find her own answers and explanations in an adult world. In both Ponette and Fidel, the camera rarely if ever rises above the height of the child; we see everything from her point of view. The incredible soundtrack by Armand Amar is often absent and never obverbearing, allowing the movie to speak for itself. When the music does appear, it is full of guitars and Latin rhythms, invoking images of the South American countries Anna's parents work so hard for and enhancing the emotional dramas played out on the screen.
If you missed the La faute à Fidel at International Cinema, all is not lost. It can be streamed with subtitles from Netflix under the title Blame it on Fidel.
