Marius & Jeannette is a beautiful, simple and true love story between two middle-aged working-class people in sunny Marseille. It was a major box office success in France.

Marius (Gérard Meylan, one of Guediguian's favorite actors, Army of Crime - SFFF 2010, The Town is Quiet - SFFF 2002 ) and Jeannette (Ariane Ascaride, Guédiguian's wife and muse, Army of Crime - SFFF 2010, The Town is Quiet - SFFF 2002) live in "l'Estaque", a working class neighborhood in the north of Marseille. Marius lives alone and works as the security guard at an abandoned cement factory about to be demolished. Jeannette, a cashier in a supermarket, raises her two children alone and struggles to make ends meet. But she finds strength in a dear community of friends.

They accidentally meet and a romance begins to bloom. Their love story won't be easy. Beside the difficulties of their economic situation, they have both been emotionally wounded. But with a little help from Jeannette's friends, everything can happen...

Just like Marcel Pagnol was in the 1930's, Robert Guédiguian is now THE filmmaker of Marseille. He has made Marseille a film star but, contrary to Pagnol, he is not afraid to show the, sometimes, bleak reality of his hometown and to present embattled people living difficult lives in a beautiful setting. Marius & Jeannette is a touching comedy full of humor and witty dialogs but it's also a social commentary about how solidarity between friends and lovers is instrumental in helping people get through times of poverty and difficulties.

Last year, Robert Guediguian's historical drama Army of Crime won the Audience Prize of the 9th SFFF.

Marius & Jeannette was nominated for 7 César in 1998, including Best Original Screenplay. Jean-Louis Milesi, Guédiguian's favorite screenwriter, who has written more than 10 films with Guédiguian including Marius & Jeannette and The Town is Quiet (SFFF 2002), will attend the SFFF.

Jean-Louis Milesi will also present his own film Lino (Sunday, June 19 at 1:25pm).

Shown with TBA

Q&A with Screenwriter Jean-Louis Milesi follows the Saturday screening.