Marshall’s 2020 French Film Festival gave students a non-school-related task, in a time where few knew how to spend their days of isolation. For juniors Amani Akkoub and Rachel Osman, it allowed them to work on a project without having to meet in-person.
“I missed the people I sat next to and talked to every day,” Akkoub said. “My friends and I wanted to participate in the festival because we thought it would be a fun way to be creative while we had all this new free time.”
This year, all films had to fit the theme of “A Day in Confinement”, though the short movies could be of any genre.
“We decided to make a horror-short,” Osman said. “We filmed most of it over Zoom and did some parts individually […] I think trying to find innovative ways to make a whole story was interesting, and I really enjoyed the experience.”
The festival also supplied an opportunity to continue conversing and perfecting speaking skills.
“[French] is really hard to keep up if you’re not practicing,” Akkoub said. “The festival gave me something to do that also helped me keep working on the language.”