It’s not often that an officer in the French army also decides to make films. But in her second fiction feature, Mon Légionnaire, Rachel Lang (Strasbourg, 1984) combines these two elements: military mores, the lives of those left at home (usually women), and the visual depiction of combatting an unknown enemy.
Although Lang is still actively involved as a reservist with missions both in France and abroad, she sees herself primarily as a filmmaker. Her impressive feature debut Baden Baden (2016) completed a coming-of-age-trilogy with her first two short films, before premiering at the 2016 Berlinale (Forum) and travelling to some 60 film festivals worldwide.
Film curator Kiva Reardon will talk extensively with Rachel Lang about her work, the sensitive topics tackled in the ensemble drama Mon Légionnaire, as well as the stylistic choices Lang makes in the scenes dealing with conflict: something with which she is all too familiar.
This Big Talk is available worldwide from Tue 1 February, 19:00 via IFFR.com
