The Cine Club has become a fun loving event for the students as it not only boosts them up in a third language they are learning but also creates an interest in understanding it.
Alliance Française de Bhopal, the Indo-French cultural centre, with the support of French Embassy in India, organised the screening of an animated French film “le Chat du Rabbin” by Joann Sfar under its programme ‘Ciné-Club’ here on Friday at its Bhopal centre. le Chat du Rabbin (The Rabbi’s Cat) is a 2011 French animated film directed by Joann Sfar and Antoine Delesvaux, based on volume one, two and five of Sfar’s comics series with the same title. It tells the story of a cat which obtains the ability to speak after swallowing a parrot, and its owner who is a rabbi in 1920s Algeria. The voice cast includes François Morel, Hafsia Herzi, Maurice Bénichou, Fellag, François Damiens and Jean-Pierre Kalfon.
The film takes place in the Jewish community of Algeria. One day a Rabbi finds that his talking parrot, which is very noisy, has been eaten by his cat and the cat has gained the ability to speak in human tongues. However, Rabbi finds that the cat is very rude and arrogant. The cat proceeds to mock and insult the rabbi’s strict views, who declare that the cat should be killed for its heresy. But the two eventually reach an agreement where the rabbi will teach the cat all about the Torah, and that someday he might have his bar mitzvah when he is ready.
The rabbi forbids the cat from meeting his daughter, Ziabya since it tells only lies or hurtful truths. Hilarity ensues as it loses and gains back his ability to speak, travels to Paris. Notably, Alliance Française de Bhopal always organizes different events for the students. Under its programme Cine Club, Alliance Francaise usually screens French movies of different genres with a motive not only to make the students enjoy but also making them familiar with the language.
The show was heartwarming as the students took full pleasure of it.