Veteran film-maker Jean-Luc Godard recently lamented the state of modern cinema whilst promoting his new film Film Socialisme. I take a look at his comments within the context of some of the independent cinema flourishing today and ask whether film is indeed over, and what to make of the term “auteur” in the current cinematic climate.

Every so often you watch a film that you know you’re going to love within the first 5 or 10 minutes. Treacle Jr. is one such film. Funny, poignant, wonderfully acted and making brilliant use of its South London locations, Treacle Jr. is an absolute gem of a film, illustrating once again that you don’t need a Hollywood budget to create brilliant cinema.

Potiche is the French word for a vase or ornament of superficial beauty and little real value. Idiomatically, it refers to a trophy wife – a pretty, inoffensive girl who’ll sit on her shelf and not cause any trouble. Mischievous satirical prankster François Ozon directs the magnificent Catherine Deneuve in a hilarious and savvy tale of one trophy wife who simply won’t stay in the cabinet.