Library kicks off French film discussion group

Southborough - Foreign film buffs, film students and anyone with a passing interest in French movies or culture may find a home within Southborough Library's upcoming foreign film discussion group.

Lauren Taylor Fernandes, a seasoned college professor, interpreter and translator in French and Spanish, will lead the discussions. Fernandes currently teaches at Boston University and Framingham State College, and has a longstanding interest in French, German and Italian films. Although a resident of Framingham, Fernandes developed a relationship with the Southborough Library and proposed the discussion group idea to bring French culture into the area, she said.

The first four films will be "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," a true story about Jean-Dominique Bauby, who had Locked-In Syndrome and communicated by blinking one eye; "Bon Voyage," with Isabelle Adjani and Gérard Depardieu, which takes place during the Nazi occupation of Paris; "Chocolat" - not the American movie with Johnny Depp, but a French film about a young woman in Cameroon; and "Laissezpasser," a film about how actors, writers and filmmakers participated in the French Resistance.

Due to licensing issues, the Southborough Library cannot hold group viewings of the films, so participants will need to watch them at home before each session. Fernandes will then lead participants in discussing the ethnic and social relevance, comic elements, historical context, and character in each film.

The discussion group may also serve as French language practice if members are interested and able, Fernandes said.

An interest meeting will take place Thursday Sept. 11 at 2 p.m., and subsequent film discussion times will be determined. Southborough Library is located at 25 Main St. For more information, contact Kim Ivers at 508-485-5031 or Fernandes at taylor_fernandes@ yahoo.com.