In the shadows of Nazi-occupied France, a resistance network fights a hidden war, one of split-second escapes, shifting identities, and impossible choices. At its heart is Lino Ventura, magnetic and unflinching as a man navigating the moral fog of betrayal and sacrifice. Alongside him, Simone Signoret dazzles as a master of disguise and resolve. Tautly constructed and brimming with quiet tension, this is a haunting portrait of courage under pressure where heroism unfolds not in grand gestures, but in the smallest acts of defiance.
Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, the master of minimalist suspense, the film fuses noir aesthetics with historical realism, crafting one of the most compelling depictions of resistance ever committed to screen.
The Albertine French Film Festival is organized by the Department of French and Italian at Ohio State and sponsored by The Wexner Center for the Arts and Albertine Cinemathèque, a program of Albertine Foundation and Villa Albertine, with support from the Centre National du Cinema et de l’Image Animée, and the Fonds Culturel Franco-Americain SACEM'.Guest speakers will introduce the films and lead post-screening conversations.
