Many UHS French students recently attended the French Film Festival, in which students were provided with transportation to Los Angeles to see a French movie. The event allowed students the opportunity to immerse themselves in French culture and learn the language while bonding with classmates.

“The highlights of the festival were meeting the incredible main actor and director and being allowed to ask them questions about the process and techniques behind the film,” sophomore Tala Ziadeh said. “A truly beautiful experience was the photography session before the movie, where we were able to put on berets and pose with foam baguettes.” 

The director and lead actor spoke about the process of the movie production, but also about the cultural differences between France and the United States. 

“I thought it was especially interesting when the director and actor spoke on the differences between French and American film because it showed various cultural differences I wasn’t aware of [before] the experience,” sophomore Cyrus Moussavi said. 

Although the festival was generally fun and well organized, there were a few features that students believe could have been adjusted.

“The event could’ve been improved upon by moving forward [the departure time] at a different hour since we left the school at the traditional rush hour,” Ziadeh said. “Thus, it took us much longer to arrive than usual.” 

In addition to an inconvenient departure time, some believe that more traditional films, or French classics, would have been better choices. 

“I think [the organizers] could stand to show more French films that are considered traditional because that would . . . help [UHS] students interested in French culture to better understand and shape a more accurate outlook of the country’s art,” Moussavi said. 

Overall, the festival was an enjoyable experience for students that proved a great example of how successful events based on culture could be in the future.

“I believe University High School should definitely continue to host events like this one moving forward since they would be an entertaining way to develop linguistic skills and knowledge of cultures ranging around the globe,” Ziadeh said.