If you are unfamiliar with the French graphic novelist Joann Sfar let me give you a brief rundown.
Sfar is part of the new wave of Franco-Belgian comics (comics which are held to high literary standard and are part of the culture- think The Adventures of Tin Tin) and his comics, in particular, run the gamut from his Jewish heritage (his Professeur Bell series) to contemporary themes like vampires (Vampire Loves which tells the story of Ferinand who bites people with only one tooth so that his trespasses against mankind can pass as mosquito bites).
His work is both silly and serious and certainly worth taking a look at if you want to delve into a world of foreign comics.
But if you aren't convinced yet and need a little more prodding to get into Sfar, in 2010 the biopic he wrote and directed of French singer Serge Gainsbourg (Serge Gainsbourg: Une Vie Heroique) was released to critical acclaim (and was based on his graphic novel)and will kill you emotionally.
On January 25th, at the Walter Reade Theater in Lincoln Center, there will be two showings of the film Joann Sfar Draws from Memory (3:00pm and 8:30pm) directed by Sam Ball. The film follows Sfar through his favorite neighborhood spots while he talks about the creative process and where his idea and stories come from.
After the break is a sneak peek at the film (which is shown with another film The Silent Historian, it's a two-fer!).
