Now Playing at AFS: NOTHING FANCY and New French Shorts

Nothing Fancy, directed by Elizabeth Carroll, focuses on Diana Kennedy, a 95-year-old British chef widely considered to be an expert on Mexican cuisine. By centering its subject’s words and feelings, the film explores how we’ve traditionally anointed culinary icons and the systemic inequities informing those narratives. Diana—introduced as she awakens at her house in Mexico—exemplifies the removal of ego from far-reaching explorations of food and culture. 

Throughout the documentary, Diana frequently references ways in which her work has been lazily imitated. The colonial and capitalistic gatekeeping of “prestige” in the culinary world mutes so many cultures and groups of people in service of pale, replicable imitation. Diana resonates as a learner and a helper, humbly working toward a deeper understanding of where Mexican cuisine comes from. 

Patience and empathy emerge as pillars of how Diana navigates the world. Her archival cooking videos include instructions on the use of authentic tools and ingredients. They also feature meditations on the value of simply waiting. Enacting patience is framed as an act of respect for both and ourselves and the things the world provides for us.

AFS is currently screening a selection of French shorts made available through Young French Cinema, a program of Unifrance and the Cultural Services of the French Embassy. Below you’ll see what you can expect if you check out this diverse, innovative collection.

Ahmed’s Song

d. Foued Mansour | 30 min

Ahmed’s Song (Le Chant D’Ahmed), is a complex portrait of a man who left his wife and children long ago to make a living in another country. His deliberately quiet life is disrupted by a young and rebellious work mentee that makes him question his values. Both lead performances are great and the short tells several empathetic stories about different kinds of displacement.

Sheep, Wolf, and a Cup of Tea…

d. Marion Lacourt | 12 min

Sheep, Wolf, and a Cup of Tea… (Moutons, loup and tasse de thé…) is dreamlike and gorgeously animated. The story highlights several generations of women living in a house and focuses on the youngest as she escapes into a surreal world at night. Sound plays a significant role in conveying both emotion and repetition in each character’s routines. Throughout the short, the symbolism of wolves and sheep appears to be inverted—meaning that wolves are a safe haven while sheep are threats. The visuals and thought-provoking content will stay with you.

Tuesday from 8 to 6

d. Cecilia de Arce | 26 min

Tuesday from 8 to 6 (Mardi de 8 à 18) follows a school monitor doing her best amid the general tensions between adults and adolescents in educational spaces. The story highlights the difficulties of supporting vulnerable people when so many spaces are patriarchal and systemically imbalanced. At one point, the protagonist says “How can we not get attached? We’re human.” Her supervisor responds with “You’re not here to be human.” This reinforces the ways in which we shepherd children into adulthood without considering their emotional needs.

The Distance Between Us and the Sky

d. Vasilis Kekatos | 9 min 

The Distance Between Us and the Sky mostly consists of a startlingly intimate conversation shot in close-up. Two men flirt while discussing their unique circumstances and sharing a cigarette. There is a sense of undeniable chemistry between them and the dialogue is remarkably evocative. This short is small in scale but massive in terms of its emotional impact.

The Tears Thing

d. Clémence Poésy | 25 min

The Tears Thing (Le Coup des larmes) is a mystery that thrillingly unravels while adding depth to a fraught relationship between two women. They are trying to reconnect while one teaches the other how to shoot—as in, with a firearm. It’s research for a screenplay, but it’s also a delayed revisiting of a traumatic parting. Undercurrents of abandonment and secrecy make for a rich and suspenseful story. The reveal of what the title means is a stunner.

Magnetic Harvest

d. Marine Levéel | 24 min

Magnetic Harvest (La traction des pôles) tells a unique story about queer romance set in rural France. Its combination of lush farm imagery and elements of the digital world effectively situates the audience within a fractured existence. The main character cares for pigs and spends a long time searching for one named Roger. He also struggles with his budding attraction to a friend that has come back into his orbit. This short’s bright colors and sweeping emotions make its complex explorations of marginalization particularly resonant.

The Glorious Acceptance Speech of Nicolas Chauvin

d. Benjamin Crotty | 26 min

The Glorious Acceptance Speech of Nicolas Chauvin is a satirical and playfully anachronistic film that reckons with how things are memorialized. The film plays with different styles in its visuals and dialogue, all the while maintaining an awareness of the colonial and patriarchal systems that have shaped the historical (and present day) narratives commented on by its narrator.

AFS Cinema and its partners have made these films available to screen virtually. A portion of the proceeds from all virtual screenings will go toward future AFS programming and reopening the theater when the guidance of public health officials indicates it is safe to do so. Thank you for your support.