France Zobda Movies
- 1996
This peaceful French drama was filmed in the beautiful West African desert. Set in the 18th century, when the slave trade was still booming, it chronicles the complex relationships between Jean-Francois, an exiled French aristocrat, his mulatto lover, who is a widow and a slave trader, and the ten-year-old slave whom he raises as a daughter. He receives the girl after making an important deal with a local chief. Jean-Francois is entranced by the intelligent young beauty and raises the girl, Amelie, as if she were his daughter, but as she matures, he finds other feelings stirring within. Even though he continues a long distance relationship with his lover in France, and continues trysting with the widow, Jean-Francois feels closest to little Amelie. When she and other slaves are stolen by a rival tribe, he hastily sets out to save her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bernard Giraudeau, Richard Bohringer, (more)
- 1986
Based on a semi-autobiographical novel by Ania Francos, this tragi-comedy follows the diagnosis and internment of lawyer Lola Friedlander (Carole Laure) in the cancer ward of a large clinic. There Lola encounters Marie-Aude (Jeanne Moreau) and Cathy (Dominique Labourier), two very different patients from opposite walks of life who each contribute to Lola's adjustment. Given that the doctor at this clinic is a media-star, there is a certain aura of unreality to the story that also permeates some of the episodes involving subsidiary characters like Lola's boyfriend or her archetypal Jewish family. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carole Laure, Sami Frey, (more)
- 1986
This is a charming and successful farce from director Thomas Gilou, featuring a witty screenplay co-authored by producer Monique Annaud. When a group of African squatters in Paris are threatened with eviction, they find themselves fighting against a bureaucracy that few French citizens understand, let alone immigrants. In desperation, they turn to their best option to resolve this dilemma: they call for a sorcerer from home. The sorcerer hops on a jet to Paris to cast spells on the entrenched bureaucrat, and while en route he strikes up a conversation with a fellow passenger, mentioning his job pays quite well. The interested passenger could stand to make a few extra francs, so he decides to take the sorcerer's place. Once he arrives, this imposter has to act like he knows what he is doing, and at the same time, he had better solve the eviction problem. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jacques Villeret, Isaach de Bankolé, (more)
Based on the famous comic strip, Sheena chronicles the adventures of the title character (Tanya Roberts), a fair-skinned orphan taken in by a kindly Zambouli priestess (Elizabeth of Toro, a real-life African queen) in a remote African village and trained in the ancient arts of makeup and hairstyling. When American newsmen Fletcher (Donovan Scott) and Vic (Ted Wass) travel to her homeland to cover a story on Prince Otwani (Trevor Thomas), they uncover his plot to assassinate his brother, the reigning prince (a renowned field-goal kicker), and frame the priestess for the crime. Sheena joins forces with the newsmen to stop him and restore order to the country. Although Roberts looks great in a loincloth, her assets alone cannot save this turkey; one wonders where the jungle princess manages to plug in her blow-dryer. This ridiculous film was panned across the board upon its release and subsequently bombed. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tanya Roberts, Ted Wass, (more)
