C'est dur d'être aimé par des cons
(It's Hard Being Loved by Jerks)
Sponsored by NUVO

Sunday, April 10, 2011, 2 p.m.
All showings are in the Mother Theresa Hackelmeier Memorial Library Auditorium

C'est dur d'être aimé par des cons (It's Hard Being Loved by Jerks)

This important documentary on the freedom of the press, censorship, and the right of religious minorities looks at a crucial 2007 Paris trial. Several Islamic organizations brought charges of racist slander against the French news weekly Charlie Hebdo for reprinting 12 satirical cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed that had originally appeared in a Danish newspaper in 2005. Director Daniel Leconte follows the entire course of the trial, with Philippe Val, editor of Charlie Hebdo (a publication that’s an equal opportunity offender, having spoofed other religions in the past), giving the filmmaker complete access to the magazine’s editorial and strategizing meetings. When the prosecution decides that Leconte can’t film the trial, he turns instead to fascinating summaries of the day’s events presented in the courthouse lobby—and to interviews with some of the prominent defense witnesses, like filmmaker Claude Lanzmann. Amid the media circus surrounding the case, Leconte captures cogent, passionate speakers on both sides of the argument, reminding viewers of the absolute necessity of both the right to publish and the right to protest.

Director: Daniel Leconte
Running time: 105 minutes
Production: France, 2008
Language: French with English subtitles
Rating: Not Rated