French Films at the 61st Chicago International Film Festival

This year’s festival offers a vibrant mix of in-person screenings at various Chicago venues bringing the best of global cinema. With a rich array of French and francophone films featured across multiple categories, the festival continues its tradition of celebrating the artistry and diversity of French cinema. Don’t miss this unique cinematic journey!

Breathless (À bout de souffle)
DIR. Jean-Luc Godard  |   France
LANGUAGES French
GENRES Crime, Drama
A small-time crook on the run and his free-spirited lover drift through Paris in Godard’s groundbreaking debut, a rule-shattering New Wave classic of love, crime, and cool.

The Girl in the Snow (L’Engloutie)
DIR. Louise Hémon  |   France
LANGUAGES French, Italian
GENRES Drama, Mystery, Sex and Sexuality, Women-centered
An idealistic teacher arrives in a remote Alpine village at the dawn of the 20th century, where superstition, desire, and looming calamity blur the line between light and darkness.

Nouvelle vague
DIR. Richard Linklater  |   France
LANGUAGES French
GENRES Drama, Film on Film, Historical
Richard Linklater reimagines the making of Godard’s Breathless, capturing the youthful chaos, daring artistry, and cinematic revolution of 1959 Paris.

Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk
DIR. Sepideh Farsi |   France, Palestine
LANGUAGES French, English, Arabic
GENRES Political, Social Commentary, Women-Centered
An Iranian filmmaker barred from Gaza forges a virtual bond with a young Palestinian poet, crafting an intimate portrait of resilience, exile, and life under siege.

The Stranger (L’Étranger)
DIR. François Ozon  |   France
LANGUAGES French
GENRES Crime, Drama, Literary Adaptation
In 1938 Algiers, an emotionally detached clerk drifts through life until a chance encounter leads to murder, imprisonment, and an existential reckoning.

Sugar Cane Alley (Rue Cases Nègres)
DIR. Euzhan Palcy  |   France, Martinique
LANGUAGES French, Creole
GENRES Coming of Age, Family Affairs, Historical, Literary Adaptation
In 1930s Martinique, a young boy raised by his grandmother seeks freedom through education amid poverty, racism, and the legacy of slavery.
At this screening, director and writer Euzhan Palcy will receive the Festival’s Black Perspectives Tribute and Career Achievement Award. Supported by Villa Albertine Chicago

Young Mothers (Jeunes Mères)
DIR. Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne  |   France, Belgium
LANGUAGES French
GENRES Drama, Family Affairs, Social Commentary, Women-Centered
In a Belgian home for young mothers, five teens navigate parenthood, trauma, and solidarity, forging bonds that offer hope for a brighter future.

The Beauty of the Donkey (La Beauté de l’Âne)
DIR. Dea Gjinovci  |   France, Switzerland, Kosovo, U.S.
LANGUAGES French, Albanian
GENRES Family Affairs, Political, Historical
A Swiss-Albanian filmmaker returns to her father’s Kosovo hometown after 60 years, recreating his childhood memories with villagers to confront loss, history, and resilience.

It Was Just an Accident (Un Simple Accident)
DIR. Jafar Panahi  |   France, Iran, Luxembourg
LANGUAGES Persian
GENRES Drama, Political, Social Commentary, Thriller
A mechanic kidnaps the man he believes once tortured him, igniting a tense 24-hour reckoning with memory, doubt, and the scars of political violence.

The Voice of Hind Rajab
DIR. Kaouther Ben Hania  |   France, Tunisia
LANGUAGES Arabic
GENRES Drama, Social Commentary
Recounting the final emergency call of six-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza, Kaouther Ben Hania’s urgent docudrama honors the bravery of first responders and a child’s unforgettable voice.

The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo
DIR. Diego Céspedes  |   France, Chile, Germany, Spain, Belgium
LANGUAGES Spanish
GENRES Drama, LGBTQ, Family Affairs, Sex and Sexuality
In 1980s Chile, as a mysterious plague fuels paranoia, an eleven-year-old girl seeks the truth to protect her queer chosen family in a tender tale of love and resilience.

Arco
DIR. Ugo Bienvenu  |   France
LANGUAGES English
GENRES Adventure, Animation, Environmental, Science Fiction
In a dystopian 2075, a young time traveler and a lonely girl join forces with her robot guardian in a visually dazzling sci-fi fable of friendship, hope, and imagination.

Shorts 1: After Dark
DIR. Various  |   France, Jordan, Palestine, Sweden, U.K., U.S
LANGUAGES English, Arabic, French, Swedish 
GENRES Comedy, Drama, Family affairs, Horror, LGBTQ, Romance, Science Fiction, Social Commentary, Thriller, Women-Centered
From cursed love to eerie dummies and haunting earworms, this chilling shorts program dives into obsessions, fears, and desires that cut to the bone.

Shorts 2: Animation
DIR. Various  |   France, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Finland, Ireland, Japan, Portugal
LANGUAGES Chinese, English, French, No Dialogue, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish 
GENRES Animation, Art, Comedy, Coming of Age, Drama, Environmental, Family Affairs, Mystery
From surreal landscapes to intimate portraits, this program of eight daring shorts showcases the boundless possibilities of contemporary animation.