Advance Screenings of Cinderella for Charity

Every year the Rotary Clubs of France and their local chapters stage a fundraiser for brain research, in conjunction with Disney in France, which generously provides a new, not-yet-premiered film.  The beneficiary is the Federation pour le recherché sur le cerveau (FRC).

This year, the movie is Cinderella (Cendrillon, in French), which officially premiers in the US and France on March 25. Helena Bonham Carter plays the Fairy Godmother and Cate Blanchett, stepmother Lady Tremaine. Lily James plays Cinderella and Richard Madden is Prince Charming. The new film was directed by Kenneth Branagh.

My favorite line from the movie’s press release: Wouldn't you prefer to eat when all the work is done, Ella?

The fundraiser screenings will be Tuesday March 17 and 450 theaters throughout France, Belgium and Luxembourg will participate. Most theaters will show the film in French only but some will also have it in English.

In my village of St. Remy, for example, the Rotary Club des Baux de Provence will host two screenings: one in French and one in English. The French version will be at 6:30 pm at Cine Palace; the English version will follow, at 9 pm.

Tickets are 15€, of which 8€ goes to the charity. Each adult ticket includes one free child's ticket...but two free kids only per family, please.

Screenings will also happen in Arles, Tarascon, Avignon, Marseilles, Nimes and elsewhere…across the Cote d’Azur and in Paris. For a full list of participating theaters, click here. Tickets will be available at all box offices.

“This is a cause we love to support,” says Larry Ware, president of the Rotary Club des Baux. “And a nice way for the Anglo community in Provence—and visitors--to get together and participate.”

To purchase advance tickets to the St. Remy screening, contact: Gérard Bodel: 06 14 34 99 95 or gerard.bodel@orange.fr.

For info on the Rotary Club in France, click here. For the regional Provence site, click here.

And while I have you here, the Rotary Club des Baux (in the Alpilles region) is actively seeking new members. For info, contact Larry: ware42larry@gmail.com, 04 90 93 15 42 or 06 19 05 31 90. The men-only group is mostly French--with a smattering of members from Belgium, Japan, USA, Germany and Spain--and Larry tells me they'd love to have more expats in the group.