Pierre-François Pistorio

Before Nicholas had a family and children, he was a doctor. It was 10 years ago when he left them to create a new life. Now Nicholas is Lea. When a business trip brings Lea to Paris the urge to see her children again is too great to resist, Lea pretends to be a musical journalist and interviews her daughter Emma, a pianist. Through gradual revelation the children learn the truth. Lea’s unwavering determination and spirit lead her to find reconciliation with her family no matter what the price.

This 1991 production by the Lyon National Opera presents a welcome opportunity to revel in a uniquely Gallic confection rarely seen outside France. It's also a chance to enjoy one of Offenbach's most inventive, melodic scores in which the starring musical role and many of the best tunes go to the orchestra, here conducted by Jean-Yves Ossonce. This is no accident: the operetta was originally created for a company of actors who relied on pastiche and the composer's help to get them through their "numbers". Not so these singers, of course. As Metella, the languorous courtesan who is responsible for the unravelling debacle, Helene Delavault is in meltingly good voice for her show-stopping rondeau, "A minuit sonnant commence la fete". Her sparring suitors Gardefeu (Jean-Francois Sivadier) and, particularly, Bobinet (Jacques Verzier) combine marvellous visual comedy with fluid singing and there is some dazzling vocal work from the supporting cast. It's a long piece, but hugely enjoyable.

Octave has married Hyacinthe during the absence of Argante, his father.

This Surrealist film, with a title referencing the Communist Manifesto, strings together short incidents based on the life of director Luis Buñuel. Presented as chance encounters, these loosely related, intersecting situations, all without a consistent protagonist, reach from the 19th century to the 1970s. Touching briefly on subjects such as execution, pedophilia, incest, and sex, the film features an array of characters, including a sick father and incompetent police officers.

In 1916, Vincent van Horst leaves Europe to return to his Canadian homeland. There, he seeks his former love, Maria... but the lady's pride is hurt and she refuses to see him. Vincent then falls for a younger woman, Annie.