Set on colonial Mauritius in 1759, this gripping historical drama follows 16-year-old Mati, an enslaved girl who dares to escape a brutal sugar plantation in search of freedom. Her flight sparks a violent manhunt led by a ruthless slave owner, forcing her father Massamba—long resigned to captivity—to risk everything to save her. As they traverse the island’s treacherous terrain, their journey becomes a powerful act of resistance against the colonial system that has bound them.
With striking natural landscapes and a raw, immersive visual style, the film blends historical realism with poetic intensity, capturing both the brutality of enslavement and the fierce will to break free.
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.
