Alain Rozanés

Nina's House

Starting in 1944 in the wake of the Liberation and continuing into the '60s, 'houses of hope' were established to lend a semblance of continuity to youngsters orpahaned by the war. Nina's Home takes place between September 1944 and January 1946 in an orphanage housed in a chateau outside Paris. At the outset, the country residence is run by Nina who has a core population of French Jewish children whose parents are probably dead. Food is scarce. News of the Concentration Camps hasn't hit yet, but some months later, a contingent of youths arrive form the liberated camps. The children are a disparate, wild, damaged group and conflicts ensue. Nina's challenge is to help them make their first delicate moves toward the future and in the process restore all of them, including herself, to life.

Social Genocide

After the fall of the military dictatorship in 1983, successive democratic governments launched a series of reforms purporting to turn Argentina into the world's most liberal and prosperous economy. Less than twenty years later, the Argentinians have lost literally everything: major national companies have been sold well below value to foreign corporations; the proceeds of privatizations have been diverted into the pockets of corrupt officials; revised labour laws have taken away all rights from employees; in a country that is traditionally an important exporter of foodstuffs, malnutrition is widespread; millions of people are unemployed and sinking into poverty; and their savings have disappeared in a final banking collapse. The film highlights numerous political, financial, social and judicial aspects that mark out Argentina's road to ruin.

Satin Rouge

After the death of her husband, Lilia's life revolves solely around her teenage daughter, Salma. Whilst looking for Salma late one night, Lilia stumbles upon a belly dance cabaret and though initially reserved and taken aback by the culture of the place, Lilia gets consistently drawn back to it. She befriends one of the belly dancers and is encouraged into dancing for the audience. Lilia also starts a romance with one of the cabaret's musicians, who unbeknown to both of them, is also romancing Salma.

Un moment de bonheur

Philippe, 25 ans, débarque un matin à Arcachon, où vit sa soeur. C'est un jeune homme qui n'a pas d'attache et à qui on se confie facilement. Il est saisonnier et travaille dans la restauration. Betty, 20 ans, est une jeune mère pleine de vie et de tendresse pour son fils, Damien, 5 ans. Ils vivent encore dans la cellule familiale et les relations entre Betty et son père sont conflictuelles. Damien est perturbé par cette ambiance. Sa mère trouve du travail, quitte le foyer familial et acquiert de l'indépendance. Betty et Philippe se croiseront...

A Hell of a Day

Some days turn out to be simply unforgettable. For Marie, it all starts with a pregnancy test… that proves positive, a car accident and being fired from her job... For Hortense, mobile phone in hand, the frantic quest for sexual satisfaction begins in a traffic jam... For both Luis and Maurice, the unexpected appearance of a loved one pitches them into a world of dreams and nightmares. While some of the characters know each other, others come into contact by chance. One woman profits from all this, the other is shattered. One will have gone looking for trouble, the other will have asked for nothing. There'll be no fatalities.

Empty Days

An executive and a dowdy working-class woman, both unemployed, married and parents meet at a supermarket. They become friends but find it hard to accept that they may be in love with each other.

Karnaval

Karnaval is set against a backdrop of intolerance and hostility in the gloomy Northern French city of Dunkirk. The story is set during carnival time, when the citizens let themselves loose for six weeks of partying, carousing and having a good time. The film centers on Larbi, an Arab youth, and his confrontation with one of the turning points of his life. After a violent argument with his father, Larbi decides to leave the family's business and go to Marseilles for a fresh start. On his last night in the town he grew up in, he sleeps in the hallway of an apartment building, where he is disturbed by Béa and Christian, a couple having fun at the carnival. Larbi is attracted to Béa and decides to stay a few more days to try his luck. In the free atmosphere of the carnival, Larbi discovers a world that he did not know existed, a world which is about to clash with his conservative outlook, and the three lives are changed forever.

Foul Play

In this French comedy-drama, actor Angelo Bastiani installs satellite dishes when not auditioning for films. After being told he's not convincing enough for a role in a gangster flick, Ange dons a mask and stages a parking-lot holdup, terrifying the film's director and casting director to prove his point.

Hyenas

A now-rich woman returns to her poor desert hometown to propose a deal to the populace: her fortune, in exchange for the death of the man who years earlier abandoned her and left her with his child.