French Films at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival

The festival presents over 200 bold and exciting films by both emerging and established filmmakers, showcasing diverse stories from more than 100 cultures worldwide—including a vibrant selection of films from France and Francophone countries.

Ghost Trail (Le fantome) Dir. Jonathan Millet (2024, France, Belgium, Germany)
Powered by a pair of blazing performances, this tense, stirring, expertly judged thriller about Syrian exiles in France, including a secret group pursuing the Syrian regime’s fugitive leaders, is a work of visceral intensity and formidable control, pulling you into a tight grip and holding you there. In French, Arabic, English

Julie Keeps Quiet (Julie se tait) Dir. Leonardo van Dijl (2024, Belgium, Sweeden)
Belgium’s Leonardo van Dijl applies great care and skill to this enthralling and empathetic portrait of a talented teenager who finds herself at the centre of a tennis academy’s emerging scandal. In French and Dutch

Meet the Barbarians (Les barbares) Dir. Julie Delpy (2024, France)
As a small French town eagerly prepares to welcome a Ukrainian refugee family, they are caught off guard when a Syrian family arrives instead. In this heartfelt and sharp-witted comedy, art house darling and one of France’s leading filmmakers Julie Delpy explores the complexities of integration with warmth and humor. In French

Meeting with Pol Pot (Rendez-vous with Pol Pot) Dir. Rithy Panh (2024, Cambodia, France, Taiwan, Qatar, Turkey)
Based on a true story, Meeting with Pol Pot follows three journalists drawn into the secretive world of Pol Pot’s handlers. As they navigate deception and paranoia, reality begins to slip away. In French and Khmer 

Misericordia (Mésiricorde) Dir. Alain Guiraudie (2014, France, Spain, Portugal)
Alain Guiraudie (Stranger by the Lake) returns with Misericordia, a darkly funny, unsettling thriller set in autumnal Occitanie. Jérémie (Félix Kysyl), a drifting ex-baker, lingers in his hometown after his former boss’s death, embedding himself in the family and befriending an eccentric priest. In Guiraudie’s world, desire and violence erupt unexpectedly, blurring passion and crime. In French

Monsieur Aznavour Dir. Mehdi Idir (2024, France)
Tahar Rahim stars as Charles Aznavour, the legendary French singer and actor who rose from poverty to become an international icon. Born to Armenian parents, Aznavour’s early life was shaped by his musical talent and wartime bravery. With a career spanning over 1,000 songs and a lasting impact on both music and cinema, Monsieur Aznavour celebrates his extraordinary life and legacy. In French

Savages (Sauvages) Dir. Claude Barras (2024, Switzerland, France, Belgium)
Award-winning Claude Barras (My Life as a Zucchini) creates a beautiful stop-motion animated feature set at the edge of a tropical rainforest in modern-day Borneo. 11-year-old Kéria cares for an orphaned orangutan rescued from a palm oil plantation. When her cousin Selaï arrives seeking refuge from conflict with logging companies, they embark on a journey to protect their rainforest home. In French

Souleymane’s Story (L’histoire de Souleymane) Dir. Boris Lojkine (2024, France)
Boris Lojkine’s thrilling feature sees the eponymous Souleymane fight life over 48 hours as he tries to scrape together a living, tries to plant himself legally in France, and maintain a semblance of dignity, sanity, and grace. First-time actor Abou Sangaré won the Un Certain Regard prize for Best Actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival. In French

When fall is coming (Quand vient l’automne) Dir. François Ozon (2024, France)
The versatile and prolific François Ozon channels a bit of iconic French master Claude Chabrol in this gentle drama dealing with generational tensions and the art of breaking rules. Retired in Burgundy, Michelle (Hélène Vincent) hopes to mend her strained bond with her daughter by caring for her grandson. But a mishap soon deepens their divide, uncovering past wounds and hidden truths. In French

Who by Fire (Comme le feu) Dir. Philippe Lesage (2024, France, Canada)
A getaway at a secluded log cabin in the forest becomes the site of escalating, multigenerational tensions and anxieties in this disquieting, impeccably mounted coming-of-age drama from Quebecois filmmaker Philippe Lesage (Genesis, New Directors/New Films 2019). In French and English

You are not alone (Vous n’êtes pas seuls) Dir. Marie-Hélène Viens, Philippe Lupien (2024, Canada)
Léo, a lonely pizza delivery guy in Montreal, catches the eye of musician Rita, and love begins to bloom. But Léo is also being stalked by aliens disguised as taxi drivers, preying on the city’s isolated souls. As his romance with Rita grows, his newfound confidence disrupts their eerie plans. A surreal blend of Punch-Drunk Love and Under the Skin, You Are Not Alone is a mesmerizing mix of romance and sci-fi intrigue. In French