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. Each of these films are free and open to all Ohio State students, staff, and faculty.
When Fall is Coming (Quand vient l’automne) - François Ozon
October 8, 2025 - 5:30pm-8:00pm
After retiring to a quiet life in Burgundy, Michelle faces the cold hostility of her daughter Valérie, despite years of sacrifice. When Valérie leaves her son with Michelle, an attempt at reconciliation is derailed by a sudden mishap. With the help of her friend Marie-Claude, Michelle navigates a tense, twisting journey to mend fractured family bonds in this gripping and unsettling thriller from a masterful filmmaker, François Ozon. His filmmaking is marked by emotional precision, elegant visual style, and a fearless exploration of human complexity, often blurring the lines between drama, mystery, and psychological intrigue.
Red Island (L’Ile Rouge) - Robin Campillo
October 21, 2026 - 7:00pm-9:00pm
On one of the last remaining French military bases in 1970s Madagascar, ten-year-old Thomas lives in what appears to be an idyllic paradise—sun-drenched days, lush surroundings, and a close-knit expatriate community. But as he begins to emulate his comic book heroine Fantômette and secretly observe the adults around him, cracks begin to appear in the surface of his family's blissful life. What he discovers is a web of entangled personal and political realities: the unspoken tensions of colonialism, the quiet violence of privilege, and the tangled desires that course through the seemingly carefree world of the grown-ups.
In his much-anticipated follow-up to the Cannes Grand Prix–winning 120 BPM, writer-director Robin Campillo crafts a visually sumptuous and emotionally layered coming-of-age tale. Red Island is both a sensuous evocation of childhood curiosity and a sobering reflection on the colonial legacy—told through the wide eyes of a child who sees more than he understands, and remembers more than he can explain.
No Chains, No Masters (Ni chaînes ni maîtres) - Simon Moutaïrou
October 28, 2025 - 5:30pm-7:30pm
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.
Kyiv Theater: An Island of Hope (Aux bords de la guerre, Ariana Mnouchkine et le Théâtre du Soleil à Kyiv) - Thomas Briat and Duccio Bellugi Vannuccini
November 6, 2025 - 5:30pm-6:30pm
In the wake of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, acclaimed French theater director Ariane Mnouchkine journeys to Kyiv to lead an intensive 12-day workshop with Ukrainian actors—professionals, students, and amateurs alike. Set against the backdrop of a nation under siege, this poignant documentary examines the transformative role of art in times of conflict. Through scenes of improvisational performance, intimate conversations, and encounters with the physical and emotional ruins of war, Kyiv Theater: An Island of Hope reveals how theater becomes both a sanctuary and an act of resistance. It is a powerful meditation on creativity, resilience, and the enduring necessity of artistic expression in the face of violence and uncertainty.
Dahomey - Mati Diop
November 6, 2025 - 6:30pm-7:30pm
From acclaimed filmmaker Mati Diop (Atlantics), Dahomey is a poetic and immersive work of art that delves into real perspectives on far-reaching issues surrounding appropriation, self-determination and restitution. Set in November 2021, the documentary charts 26 royal treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey that are due to leave Paris and return to their country of origin: the present-day Republic of Benin. Using multiple perspectives Diop questions how these artifacts should be received in a country that has reinvented itself in their absence. Winner of the coveted Golden Bear prize at the 2024 Berlinale, Dahomey is an affecting though altogether singular conversation piece that is as spellbinding as it is essential.
Sisterhood (HLM Pussy) - Nora El Hourch
November 12, 2025 - 5:30pm-7:30pm
Lifelong friends Amina, Djeneba, and Zineb have always navigated their differences in class and background with unwavering solidarity. But when Zineb becomes the target of harassment by her brother’s closest friend, Amina intervenes, sharing a compromising video on social media in an attempt to protect her. What begins as an impulsive act of justice soon sets off unforeseen consequences, placing Amina in danger and testing the strength of their friendship. This nuanced portrait of loyalty, resistance, and the risks of speaking out explores the fragile balance between female solidarity and survival in a world where silence is often expected.
Army of Shadows (L’Armée des ombres) - Jean-Pierre Melville
November 19, 2025 - 7:00pm-9:00pm
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.
