With Seriesmania, Lille and the cities of northern France are transformed into a giant screening room: paradise for series fans.
You can get lost in the pretty alleys of Old Lille, find the best “mussels and fries” in the city or the most famous brasserie. And above all, watch series in preview: those that will be in the near future on your screens. And things are changing, with theaters filling up with each screening (free!)… to the point of having to multiply the broadcasts, hence the booklet provides which precisely allows you to prepare your festival serenely, because since 2018, Sériesmania is first and foremost and above all the biggest European event entirely dedicated to series. And speaking of screenings, the most popular are those where the entire cast, actors as directors, producers or creators organize a debate led by a specialized journalist accompanied by a question-and-answer session with the public.
After launching with fanfare on Friday evening with a “night The Wire », place to the projos, of which one of the most awaited is that, precisely, We Own This City from the producer of the cult American series, Davis Simon, who after The Wire launched notably with George Pelecanos The Deuce and Treme. Full house and applause after the first two episodes which will be broadcast from April 25 on HBO. And the actors come to discuss it live on the stage of the New Century room: to say that the series is brilliant is obvious, it takes place in Baltimore (obviously) in the midst of rotten cops. Reminds you of something? The cardboard seems assured. At the same time, Sériesmania launched the People’s Choice Award, with each participant being able to vote for the series of their choice. See you at the end of the festival. Because the competition is fierce, and the viewings, in three Lille cinemas – the Majestic, the UGC and the New Century – and others around the northern metropolis, follow one another without downtime or almost. It is therefore necessary to find the time to go to the Village Festival, located next to the Gare de Lille Flandres, to discover other activities around the “series” passion. Discovery of sets in virtual reality, workshops, exhibition (on The Wire again!), cult objects – from the throne of Game Of Thrones at the DS of The Mentalist –, without even mentioning the workshops and meetings with authors and/or actors on the specially equipped stage, and many other activities and exhibitions, including the tailors of The Nannythat is to say !
On Sunday, place for previews with the staggering The Birth OF Daniel F. Harris, a British series produced by the BBC where the main actor came to introduce us to the first two episodes with his choppy Scottish accent. Aesthetic, engaging, even breathtaking, and although still awaiting release, this psychiatric dive is unstoppable. At the same time, other series, including the highly anticipated The King, coming from Italy, which takes place in a prison. A whole program knowing that this program is signed by the co-screenwriter of Gomorrah ! French side, Sentinel, which will be broadcast on OCS, looks back on Operation Barkhane in Mali. Written by Frédéric Krivine, the author of A French Village, the action takes place in the desert and evokes the living conditions of the soldiers engaged in the operation, if the decorations are sumptuous, the image, raw, also recalls the difficulty of the mission of these recruits.
When evening comes, it’s the grand premiere of the surprising Fire Dancean Israeli series that plunges, like Unorthodox where the schtisel about the closed world of the ultra-Orthodox and directed by filmmaker Rama Burshtein, who signs a mini saga around two central characters – a post-adolescent girl who discovers the world and a rabbi who must decide whether he will succeed his deceased father at the head of his community. The whole cast had come to Lille to meet their audience and the question and answer that followed was as lively as it was friendly. The festival lasts until March 25, and the opportunity to discover both the city of Lille and the next big hits on the small screen.
Advantage of this festival? you can also watch live in line !
Belkacem Bahlouli
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