Institut français screenings to pay homage to late actor Belmondo
Jean-Paul Belmondo died on Sept. 6 at the age of 88. (Courtesy of Institut français)


Institut français (French Cultural Center) will mark French acting great Jean-Paul Belmondo, who passed away last week, in special movie screenings on Thursday.

A poster of "Pierrot le Fou" ("Crazy Pierrot").
Two iconic Belmondo movies, namely "L'Homme de Rio" ("That Man from Rio") and "Pierrot le Fou" ("Crazy Pierrot"), will be screened in two sessions at Institut Français branches in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.

Veteran Turkish movie critic and journalist Atilla Dorsay will be attending the screening in Istanbul for a commemorative speech to mark Belmondo.

The veteran actor, one of the top-sought male characters of the French movie industry with over 80 appearances, died on Sept. 6 at the age of 88.

A poster of "L'Homme de Rio" ("That Man from Rio").
Directed by Philippe de Broca, "L'Homme de Rio" (1964) tells the story of a young French soldier, Adrien, who embarks on an adventure to find his abducted fiancee. Noted for drawing inspiration from "The Broken Ear" volume of Tintin comic series, the movie is regarded as a turning point for Belmondo’s career with its action and acrobatic scenes.

"Pierrot le Fou" (1965) marks Belmondo’s last cooperation with prominent French director Jean-Luc Godard. Co-starring Anna Karina as "Marianne," ex-girlfriend and acquaintance of "Ferdinand" portrayed by Belmondo, the movie focuses on Ferdinand’s escape from his ordinary bourgeois lifestyle and meddling into Marianne’s dirty businesses.