The Boston French Film Festival returns with an exciting lineup that captures the textures, tensions, and petits bonheurs (small joys) of contemporary French life. The festival opens with Three Friends, Emmanuel Mouret's bittersweet comedy about love, infidelity, and emotional entanglement among a trio of women. Catherine Deneuve leads The President's Wife, a sly comedy about politician Bernadette Chirac's bid to step out from her husband's shadow. Winner of the 2024 Jury Prize and Best Actor award in the Un Certain Regard section of Cannes, Souleymane's Story is a gripping portrait of life on the margins. Holy Cow brings charm to the lineup with a tale about a teenage cheesemaker chasing a contest prize, while Night Call delivers high-stakes thrills as a locksmith races through Brussels during a night of unrest. Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte's sweeping new adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo reminds us that French cinema, like the country's literature, still revels in grand tales of betrayal, justice, and revenge.

Together, these films offer a vivid snapshot of a society in motion—ever-evolving while remaining rooted in the passionate pursuit of artistic and intellectual truth. Grab some French wine and cheese at Taste and join us for these evocative stories.

Schedule of Events:

July 25, 2025

7:00 pm–9:00 pm - Three Friends (Trois amies)

Directed by Emmanuel Mouret (France, 2024, 117 min.). French with English subtitles.

From acclaimed writer-director Emmanuel Mouret comes Three Friends, a romantic comedy-drama that explores the entangled love lives of three women—Joan (India Hair), Alice (Camille Cottin), and Rebecca (Sara Forestier)—whose friendships are tested by shifting desires and inconvenient truths.

Set in the cultured circles of Lyon's teachers, artists, and academics, and told with Mouret's signature combination of wit and aching vulnerability, Three Friends is a bittersweet and often hilarious exploration of modern romance. Anchored by soulful performances and unexpected narrative turns, it's a film that asks whether we're ever really in sync when it comes to love—and whether that's even the point.

"It doesn't get more French than this.… Handsomely directed and tactfully performed, it shows Mouret reaching a peak style he's been perfecting from film to film." —Hollywood Reporter

"A rewarding, if not downright cathartic watch for all who have suffered for love." —AwardsDaily

Members
$12.00

Nonmembers
$15.00

July 26, 2025

11:00 am–12:30 pm - Filmlovers! (Spectateurs!)

Directed by Arnaud Desplechin (France, 2024, 88 min.). English and French with English subtitles.

With Filmlovers!, celebrated auteur Arnaud Desplechin (My Golden Days; A Christmas Tale) returns in playful and deeply personal form, blending documentary and autofiction to create a spirited ode to the act of watching movies. Told through the eyes of his recurring alter ego, Paul Dédalus—now a devoted cinephile rather than an anthropologist—Desplechin's latest film traces a life shaped not by making films, but by loving them.

Warm, witty, and unexpectedly moving, Filmlovers! toggles between first-person reflections, delightfully offbeat interviews with everyday moviegoers, and fictionalized scenes of Dédalus's coming-of-age as a cinephile—from sneaking off to watch Bergman to awkwardly flirting over Coppola. Along the way, Desplechin considers what it means to be a spectator: to lose yourself in a darkened theater, to wrestle with a film long after the credits roll, and to carry those images into your life.

Both a breezy film history lesson and a tender self-portrait, Filmlovers! is a joyful and funny celebration of cinema's enduring magic through the eyes of those who love it most.

"Revelatory … on the evidence of this fizzy little film, Desplechin's not done growing yet." —Variety 

Members
$12.00

Nonmembers
$15.00

Location: Harry and Mildred Remis Auditorium (Auditorium 161)

2:30 pm–4:15 pm - The Ties that Bind Us (L'attachement)

Directed by Carine Tardieu (France and Belgium, 2024, 106 min.). French and Romanian with English subtitles.

In this moving adaptation of Alice Ferney's novel L'Intimité, director Carine Tardieu crafts a tender, thought-provoking drama about the unpredictable paths love can take.

Sandra (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi), a fiercely independent librarian with no interest in motherhood, agrees to do a simple favor for her neighbor Alex (Pio Marmaï): watch his young son Elliot while Alex's wife gives birth. But when tragedy strikes and Cécile doesn't survive the delivery, Sandra finds herself drawn into an unexpected, evolving bond with both father and child.

Gently observed and deeply humane, The Ties that Bind Us explores how grief, conviction, and intimacy can reshape our most deeply held beliefs, revealing with quiet grace how families are fortified not by obligation, but by attention and care.

"A superb film that understands how absences are the hidden heart of every family.… One of those rare movies that only gets better the more you think about it. What a joy." —In Their Own League

Members
$12.00

Nonmembers
$15.00

July 27, 2025

11:00 am–12:45 pm - When Fall Is Coming (Quand vient l'automne)

Directed by François Ozon (France, 2024, 104 min.). French with English subtitles.

In his latest genre-bending tale, François Ozon (The Crime is Mine; 8 Women) returns with a masterfully restrained and quietly unsettling tale of family, memory, and suspicion.

Living a quiet retirement in the Burgundy countryside, mushroom-hunting Michelle (Hélène Vincent) hopes a visit from her young grandson will help mend a rift with her estranged daughter. But when a culinary accident disturbs the delicate balance of the household, long-festering tensions give way to deeper questions—and possibly darker motives.

With a light touch and simmering unease, When Fall Is Coming evolves from domestic drama into a twisty, character-driven mystery, laced with Ozon's signature tonal ambiguity. Featuring standout performances from Vincent, Josiane Balasko, and Ludivine Sagnier—reuniting with Ozon for the first time since Swimming Pool—the film offers a wry, disquieting reflection on the thin line between care and control.

"Gorgeously shot…. François Ozon plays a tricky game, and there are currents of darkness swirling underneath that cottagecore exterior. Ozon has crafted a deceptively intricate little puzzle of a film which sticks in your mind." —Boston Hassle

Members
$12.00

Nonmembers
$15.00

2:30 pm–4:15 pm - Misericordia

Directed by Alain Guiraudie (France, Spain, and Portugal, 2024, 104 min.). French with English subtitles.

The tangled ambiguities of love, death, and desire remain fertile ground for Alain Guiraudie (Stranger by the Lake), who returns with Misericordia, a sharp and darkly funny thriller. Set in a misty, autumnal village in Guiraudie's native Occitanie, the film follows Jérémie (Félix Kysyl), an out-of-work baker who drifts back to his hometown after the death of his former employer.

Long after the funeral, Jérémie lingers—gently insinuating himself into the life of his late boss's family, from the warm-hearted widow (Catherine Frot) to the volatile son (Jean-Baptiste Durand), all while striking up a curiously warm rapport with a relentlessly upbeat local priest (Jacques Develay).

In Guiraudie's disarmingly sensual and morally slippery world, violence and eroticism erupt without warning, and criminal impulses emerge as natural extensions of longing. With Misericordia, he once again upends genre expectations, crafting a deceptively quiet tale that simmers with menace, desire, and subversive wit.

"A welcome re-embrace of the streamlined murdery perversities of his terrific Stranger by the Lake, Alain Guiraudie gives [Cannes Film Festival] one of its darkly sparkling standouts.… there hasn't been a more exaggeratedly eccentric vision of French provincialism since Bruno Dumont established his Li'l Quinquin universe." —Variety

Members
$12.00

Nonmembers
$15.00

August 1, 2025

7:00pm - 8:45pm - Night Call (La nuit se traîne)

Directed by Michiel Blanchart (France and Belgium, 2024, 97 min.). French with English subtitles.

Smart, stylish, and full of surprises, Night Call is a propulsive thriller following Mady (Jonathan Feltre), a student by day and locksmith by night who receives an emergency call from a young woman to open a lock. But the door the young woman wants to open isn't hers, and neither is the bag of cash she runs off with. Mady finds himself in trouble with a ruthless mob boss (Romain Duris), who blames Mady for the missing cash and will stop at nothing to retrieve his stolen goods. In a city teeming with protests, Mady has only one night to prove his innocence and save his neck. With expert pacing, a charismatic lead turn from rising star Jonathan Feltre and a chilling appearance by Duris, Night Call might just be the perfect action thriller.

"An inventive debut.… Confident, inventive, and as grippy as duct tape throughout." —Guardian

Members
$12.00

Nonmembers
$15.00

August 2, 2025

11:00 am–1:00 pm - Three Friends (Trois amies)

Directed by Emmanuel Mouret (France, 2024, 117 min.). French with English subtitles.

From acclaimed writer-director Emmanuel Mouret comes Three Friends, a romantic comedy-drama that explores the entangled love lives of three women—Joan (India Hair), Alice (Camille Cottin), and Rebecca (Sara Forestier)—whose friendships are tested by shifting desires and inconvenient truths.

Set in the cultured circles of Lyon's teachers, artists, and academics, and told with Mouret's signature combination of wit and aching vulnerability, Three Friends is a bittersweet and often hilarious exploration of modern romance. Anchored by soulful performances and unexpected narrative turns, it's a film that asks whether we're ever really in sync when it comes to love—and whether that's even the point.

"It doesn't get more French than this.… Handsomely directed and tactfully performed, it shows Mouret reaching a peak style he's been perfecting from film to film." —Hollywood Reporter

"A rewarding, if not downright cathartic watch for all who have suffered for love." —AwardsDaily

Members
$12.00

Nonmembers
$15.00

2:30pm - 4:15pm - When Fall Is Coming (Quand vient l'automne)

Directed by François Ozon (France, 2024, 104 min.). French with English subtitles.

In his latest genre-bending tale, François Ozon (The Crime is Mine; 8 Women) returns with a masterfully restrained and quietly unsettling tale of family, memory, and suspicion.

Living a quiet retirement in the Burgundy countryside, mushroom-hunting Michelle (Hélène Vincent) hopes a visit from her young grandson will help mend a rift with her estranged daughter. But when a culinary accident disturbs the delicate balance of the household, long-festering tensions give way to deeper questions—and possibly darker motives.

With a light touch and simmering unease, When Fall Is Coming evolves from domestic drama into a twisty, character-driven mystery, laced with Ozon's signature tonal ambiguity. Featuring standout performances from Vincent, Josiane Balasko, and Ludivine Sagnier—reuniting with Ozon for the first time since Swimming Pool—the film offers a wry, disquieting reflection on the thin line between care and control.

"Gorgeously shot…. François Ozon plays a tricky game, and there are currents of darkness swirling underneath that cottagecore exterior. Ozon has crafted a deceptively intricate little puzzle of a film which sticks in your mind." —Boston Hassle

Members
$12.00

Nonmembers
$15.00

August 3, 2025

11:00 am–12:45 pm - Holy Cow (Vingt dieux)

Directed by Louise Courvoisier (France, 2024, 92 min.). French with English subtitles.

A breakout hit in French cinemas, this refreshing comedy follows 18-year-old Totone (first-time actor Clément Faveau) who, following the untimely death of his father, is unexpectedly thrust into adult responsibilities—caring for his younger sister, keeping their struggling Jura farm afloat, and navigating the hard realities of rural life. When he learns of a regional competition offering €30,000 for the best Comté cheese, he throws himself into an unlikely plan to secure their future—one curd at a time.

Winner of the Youth Award in Cannes's Un Certain Regard section, as well as the Cesar Awards for Best First Film and Most Promising Actress, Holy Cow is a warmhearted coming-of-age tale that celebrates both the hardscrabble rhythms of French agricultural life and the deep emotional ties that bind family, land, and tradition. Director Louise Courvoisier—who grew up in the Jura region—draws on nonprofessional local actors to craft a film as rooted and flavorful as the cheese at its center.

"Holy Cow proves that having realism in storytelling doesn't mean you have to be gloomy. An uplifting, scrappy comedy that should delight independent cinema fans." —City AM

Members
$12.00

Nonmembers
$15.00

1:30 pm–4:30 pm - The Count of Monte Cristo (Le Comte de Monte-Cristo)

Directed by Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte (France and Belgium, 2024, 178 min.). French, Romanian, Italian, English, and Latin with English subtitles.

An epic story of betrayal, reinvention, and retribution bursts back to life in this lavish adaptation of Alexandre Dumas's timeless classic. Pierre Niney (Frantz; Yves Saint Laurent) stars as Edmond Dantès, a wrongfully imprisoned sailor who escapes and returns to Paris transformed—now fabulously wealthy, strategically calculating, and determined to dismantle the lives of the men who betrayed him.

Directors Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte deliver an emotionally resonant swashbuckler that honors the sweeping scale of Dumas's novel while pulsing with contemporary energy. With a stellar cast that includes Anaïs Demoustier, Bastien Bouillon, and Laurent Lafitte, this grand cinematic spectacle brims with buried treasure, romance, and elegant revenge.

"Stirringly acted and gorgeously filmed…. leaves previous versions of Dumas's famous revenge saga in the dust." —New York Times (Critic's Pick)

Members
$12.00

Nonmembers
$15.00

August 8, 2025

7:00 pm–8:45 pm - The Marching Band (En fanfare)

Directed by Emmanuel Courcol (France, 2024, 103 min.). English and French with English subtitles.

From Emmanuel Courcol (The Big Hit) comes a crowd-pleasing comedy-drama about two long-lost brothers who couldn't be more different—until music brings them back together. Thibault (Benjamin Lavernhe) is a world-renowned conductor facing a personal health crisis; Jimmy (Pierre Lottin) is a big-hearted kitchen worker and amateur trombonist in a local marching band. Reunited as adults after a lifetime apart, their bond begins to form over shared notes and unexpected second chances.

Premiering in the prestigious Première section of Cannes, The Marching Band is both hilarious and moving, blending subtle social commentary with buoyant energy. Courcol paints an affectionate and nuanced portrait of class differences in contemporary France, while anchoring the film in two standout performances from Lavernhe and Lottin—two of French cinema's most exciting rising stars.

Members
$12.00

Nonmembers
$15.00

August 9, 2025

11:00 am–12:45 pm - Misericordia

Directed by Alain Guiraudie (France, Spain, and Portugal, 2024, 104 min.). French with English subtitles.

The tangled ambiguities of love, death, and desire remain fertile ground for Alain Guiraudie (Stranger by the Lake), who returns with Misericordia, a sharp and darkly funny thriller. Set in a misty, autumnal village in Guiraudie's native Occitanie, the film follows Jérémie (Félix Kysyl), an out-of-work baker who drifts back to his hometown after the death of his former employer.

Long after the funeral, Jérémie lingers—gently insinuating himself into the life of his late boss's family, from the warm-hearted widow (Catherine Frot) to the volatile son (Jean-Baptiste Durand), all while striking up a curiously warm rapport with a relentlessly upbeat local priest (Jacques Develay).

In Guiraudie's disarmingly sensual and morally slippery world, violence and eroticism erupt without warning, and criminal impulses emerge as natural extensions of longing. With Misericordia, he once again upends genre expectations, crafting a deceptively quiet tale that simmers with menace, desire, and subversive wit.

"A welcome re-embrace of the streamlined murdery perversities of his terrific Stranger by the Lake, Alain Guiraudie gives [Cannes Film Festival] one of its darkly sparkling standouts.… there hasn't been a more exaggeratedly eccentric vision of French provincialism since Bruno Dumont established his Li'l Quinquin universe." —Variety

Members
$12.00

Nonmembers
$15.00

2:30 pm–4:15 pm - The President's Wife (Bernadette)

Directed by Léa Domenach (France, USA, and Belgium, 2023, 92 min.). French with English subtitles.

In this wittily fictionalized biopic, French icon Catherine Deneuve steals the spotlight as Bernadette Chirac, the long-overlooked First Lady of France who decides it's time to rewrite her own legacy. While her husband, President Jacques Chirac (Michel Vuillermoz), basks in political power and personal oblivion, Bernadette embarks on a transformation—from ridiculed spouse in retro skirt suits to media-savvy operator with a modern edge.

Blending real historical moments with gleefully fictionalized episodes, director Léa Domenach crafts a sharp, satirical portrait of image-making, ambition, and late-in-life reinvention. Deneuve delivers a droll performance that anchors the film's mix of political farce and pop-feminist flair, while Denis Podalydès shines as her loyal right-hand man.

"A puckish, highly fictionalized biopic with a pop-feminist edge … with the French film icon Catherine Deneuve bringing glamour and droll gusto to the part." —New York Times

Members
$12.00

Nonmembers
$15.00

August 10, 2025

11:00 am–12:45 pm - Night Call (La nuit se traîne)

Directed by Michiel Blanchart (France and Belgium, 2024, 97 min.). French with English subtitles.

Smart, stylish, and full of surprises, Night Call is a propulsive thriller following Mady (Jonathan Feltre), a student by day and locksmith by night who receives an emergency call from a young woman to open a lock. But the door the young woman wants to open isn't hers, and neither is the bag of cash she runs off with. Mady finds himself in trouble with a ruthless mob boss (Romain Duris), who blames Mady for the missing cash and will stop at nothing to retrieve his stolen goods. In a city teeming with protests, Mady has only one night to prove his innocence and save his neck. With expert pacing, a charismatic lead turn from rising star Jonathan Feltre and a chilling appearance by Duris, Night Call might just be the perfect action thriller.

"An inventive debut.… Confident, inventive, and as grippy as duct tape throughout." —Guardian

Members
$12.00

Nonmembers
$15.00

2:30 pm–4:15 pm - Holy Cow (Vingt dieux)

Directed by Louise Courvoisier (France, 2024, 92 min.). French with English subtitles.

A breakout hit in French cinemas, this refreshing comedy follows 18-year-old Totone (first-time actor Clément Faveau) who, following the untimely death of his father, is unexpectedly thrust into adult responsibilities—caring for his younger sister, keeping their struggling Jura farm afloat, and navigating the hard realities of rural life. When he learns of a regional competition offering €30,000 for the best Comté cheese, he throws himself into an unlikely plan to secure their future—one curd at a time.

Winner of the Youth Award in Cannes's Un Certain Regard section, as well as the Cesar Awards for Best First Film and Most Promising Actress, Holy Cow is a warmhearted coming-of-age tale that celebrates both the hardscrabble rhythms of French agricultural life and the deep emotional ties that bind family, land, and tradition. Director Louise Courvoisier—who grew up in the Jura region—draws on nonprofessional local actors to craft a film as rooted and flavorful as the cheese at its center.

"Holy Cow proves that having realism in storytelling doesn't mean you have to be gloomy. An uplifting, scrappy comedy that should delight independent cinema fans." —City AM

Members
$12.00

Nonmembers
$15.00

August 15, 2025

7:00 pm–8:45 pm - Souleymane's Story (L'histoire de Souleymane)

Directed by Boris Lojkine (France, 2024, runtime 93 min.). French, Fulah, and Malinka with English subtitles.

Racing through the streets of Paris making food deliveries by bike, Guinean immigrant Souleymane (Abou Sangare) has just two days to prepare for a life-changing asylum interview. As he rides, he recites the story he must tell—a version of himself that may or may not be enough to convince an immigration officer (Nina Meurisse) that he belongs in France. But time is short, and Souleymane isn't ready.

A breakout hit at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, Souleymane's Story won both the Jury Prize and Best Actor for first-time performer Sangare. Drawing comparisons to the Dardenne brothers and Cristian Mungiu's 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days, Boris Lojkine's immersive drama offers a gripping, deeply human portrait of the undocumented experience in modern France.

"The best discovery of this year's Cannes Film Festival.  Souleymane's Story delivers a political fable with all the grit and urgency of a thriller." —Film Stage

"Sangare is magnetic … there appears to be no limit to how much soul and sensitivity the actor can bring." —Variety

Members
$12.00

Nonmembers
$15.00

August 16, 2025

2:30 pm–4:15 pm - Visiting Hours (La prisonnière de Bordeaux)

Directed by Patricia Mazuy (France, 2024, 108 min.). French with English subtitles.

Two of France's finest actresses—Isabelle Huppert and Hafsia Herzi—deliver riveting performances in this layered, emotionally charged drama from Patricia Mazuy (Paul Sanchez Is Back!; Saturn Bowling). Set against the backdrop of a French prison, Visiting Hours follows the unexpected bond that forms between Alma (Huppert), an elegant woman of means, and Mina (Herzi), a young mother struggling to make ends meet, after a chance meeting during visits to their incarcerated husbands.

Premiering to acclaim at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, Visiting Hours confirms Mazuy's reputation as a master of tonal complexity, fusing elements of melodrama, class critique, and quiet suspense. As the women's relationship deepens, so too do the cracks between their worlds, leading to a final act that is both explosive and deeply humane.

Visually lush and psychologically sharp, this slow-burn fable of privilege, guilt, and fragile connection builds to a finale that is as surprising as it is inevitable. A film of rich contradictions—and of two unforgettable performances at its core.

"Huppert dazzles.… in the hands of two actresses working wonders with the physicality that ties their characters together, this is the kind of enjoyable French flick that grips you all the way through its winning, winking final shot." —Variety

Members
$12.00

Nonmembers
$15.00

Date: July 25 - August 24, 2025

Location: Harry and Mildred Remis Auditorium, 465 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02115(Auditorium 161)

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