This screening of Macadam Stories is presented by Tenants' Union ACT in celebration of International Tenants' Day

Macadam Stories (or Asphalte as it was known originally) is a compendium of three stories all taking place in and around a housing estate apartment building in Paris.

A man confined to a wheelchair after a recent mishap tries to woo a late-shift nurse at the local hospital by posing as a globe-trekking photographer. An aging actress clinging onto past glories strikes up a relationship with an aimless adolescent living next door. And an American astronaut lands on the roof of the building and, whilst NASA tries to cover up his botched mission, is taken in by an Algerian immigrant who misses her son (currently in prison).

Quirky, surreal and funny are certainly three words that come to mind for use in describing this movie. But most of all, I want to emphasise the word human. This is essentially a story about loneliness, something that all of us experience at some point, and many, like the characters in this film, live with daily. Director Benchetrit, however, manages to push past the despair and squalor to present us with three genuinely heartwarming stories. All actors are devastatingly funny and touching, but particular praise must (once again) be brought to the vanity-free performance from the great Huppert as the actress trying to regain her self-confidence.

Ingenious visuals, technical efficiency and social poignancy are all standards that make this comedy a must-see on this semester’s programme.