Francofonia

(Aleksandr Sokurov, France/Germany/Netherlands 2015, 88 min., DCP, French w/subtitles)

Another century has passed on the Old Continent . . . Large armies are trampling on the heart of civilization and cannon fire is once again taking its toll. Amidst the massacre and the ruins, everything majestic, magnificent, and sacred, that took millions of minutes and hours of determined labor to build, is wiped out. Jacques Jaujard and Count Franziskus Wolff Metternich worked together to protect and preserve the treasure of the Louvre Museum. Aleksandr Sokurov tells their story. He explores the relationship between art and power, and asks what art tells us about ourselves, at the very heart of one of the most devastating conflicts the world has ever known.

“Europe has always seemed to me to be a sort of united family, a longstanding, solid family, with traditions. Culture is the basis or foundation of this family. The European countries have created a grandiose, illustrious culture, in which music, art and literature are, in a way, homogenous. And I have the firm belief that France and Germany are like . . . sisters. They each have their own character, they sometimes argue, and the relationship is often difficult. Our film focuses on the successful aspects of their relationship. In this time of conflict, our two heroes have managed to come to an understanding.” – Aleksandr Sokurov