The Ciné-club’s French film screenings for this year at the Tamanyan Grand Hall of the National Library of Armenia began with Robert Bresson’s “Mouchette.” Mouchette is a deeply moving film about silence, fate, and solitude, often regarded by critics as one of Bresson’s most powerful works. The film was awarded the Special Jury Prize (OCIC Award) at the Cannes Film Festival.

David Toursé, Executive Director of the Institut Français in Armenia, expressed his gratitude in his speech to film director, cinephile, and founder-president of Filmadaran, Garegin Zakoyan, for introducing Armenian audiences to the finest selection of French films, and to Anna Chulyan, Director of the National Library of Armenia, for her strong support of this initiative.

Garegin Zakoyan, expressing reciprocal gratitude, noted that French cinema is a treasure, and Bresson is one of the greatest directors in the history of French film. Speaking about the film, Zakoyan mentioned that it is a rather challenging and serious work—both stylistically and thematically—and that an entire lifetime would not suffice to fully discuss it.

The Ciné-club at the National Library of Armenia has been operating for the fourth consecutive year, in collaboration with the Filmadaran Film Culture Development NGO, the National Library, and the Embassy of France/Institut Français in Armenia, presenting film enthusiasts with a curated selection of French films. The films are screened in French with Armenian and English subtitles. This year, the Ciné-club offers a retrospective of Robert Bresson’s films.