Just over fifty years ago, a group of French film critics despondent over the state of their national cinema decided to take matters into their own hands. They became screenwriters, directors and film editors, and began to fashion the kind of cinema they felt France could be proud of. One such critic-turned-director was Francois Truffaut. An advocate for the Hollywood-style film and Italian neo-realism, his oeuvre would come to comprise of a nice mix of the two. Twelve of his major works, including a few shorts, are currently screening at Cinema du Parc in 35mm prints. The series runs until July 22nd.

Local clothing designer, Les Enfants Sauvages, wants Montreal to live a little wild. Not that we don't already, but we tend to express our inner savage through music, dance and the occasional all-night bicycle ride. In terms of covering our naked selves, the majority of us turn to brand names or international designers. The result: a local clothes design scene left starving for attention.

The Black and White Film Foundation's extremely successful (at least in terms of attendance) first screening of Babydoll back in April has lead to a second screening this evening. Once again pulling the necessary strings to bring a 35mm print to Montréal, tonight's screening is of Knife in the Water. The veteran of a wide variety of short films, Polish director Polanski made his feature-length debut with this film that is recognized as one of the best psychological thrillers on film. The screening takes place at 8pm tonight at Salle J.A. De Sève (that's the Concordia library building) for a lowly $3.

"Dance she did, and dance she must - between her two loves" goes the motto of The Red Shoes (1948). British directors' Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger (a.k.a The Archers) most commercially successful film is engaging due as much to its luscious techicolour visuals as well as its leading triumvirate of characters. Over sixty years later, one of the Archers' biggest fans, Martin Scorsese, headed a restoration project to clean up the original film to accentuate its colorful look. Touring the world since Cannes '09, the print comes to Montréal this weekend only at Cinéma du Parc. And if I don't cover any other films this week, it's because this one can't be missed.

Film screening recommendations for FRIDAY APR 30 to THURSDAY MAY 6

The 5th edition of the Festival du Cinema Israelien de Montreal debuts on Sunday, bringing along with it 20+ films funded wholly in or in part by Israel. Always a topic of much controversy, Israeli filmmakers have never ignored the hard topics and have managed to look at themselves critically in aspects of war and religion. Amongst the many fine movies being presented at Cinema du Parc this year, Samuel Maoz' Lebanon is surely the most intriguing. Winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, this dramatic retelling of the First Lebanon War has been hailed for taking a balanced look back at a war that seems to be repeat itself. Check out the full schedule, and don't miss out on this one.

Watch trailers for repertory films for FRIDAY APR 23 to THURSDAY APR 29

Call me lazy or call me revelatory: my methods are sound. Rather than attempt to describe in words what we are to experience with our eyes and ears, and after a troubling night trying to put down in words what I experienced in music, I've decided to experiment once again with formatting. Within you can watch select trailers for films playing at repertory houses in Montréal this week. Those with slow(er) connections be warned: lots of loading within.