Saint Omer

(Change of Schedule – Previously 10AM)

Friday, February 21 2025 at 2:30PM

RSVP here

Rutgers Academic Building West 2125 (directions)

French. 122 mins (trailer)

Alice Diop, 2022

Saint Omer court of law. Young novelist Rama attends the trial of Laurence Coly, a young woman accused of killing her 15-month-old daughter by abandoning her to the rising tide on a beach in northern France. But as the trial continues, the words of the accused and witness testimonies will shake Rama’s convictions and call into question our own judgement.

Production : SRAB Films. Distribution : SUPER.

Festival opening day : light refreshments and snacks served after the screening.

Four Daughters

Saturday, February 22, 2025 at 6PM

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Voorhees Hall (directions)

Arabic. 107 mins (trailer)

Kaouther Ben Hania, 2023

Between light and darkness stands Olfa, a Tunisian woman and the mother of four daughters. One day, her two older daughters disappear. To fill in their absence, the filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania invites professional actresses and invents a unique cinema experience that will lift the veil on Olfa and her daughters’ life stories.

Production : Tanit Films, Cinetelefilms, Twenty Twenty vision, Red Sea Film Festival Foundation, ZDF/Arte, Jour2fête. Distribution : Kino Lorber.

Mina Khavandi on Kaouther Ben Hania’s Four Daughters : “Love and Loss en femme”

The Beast

Sunday, February 23, 2025 at 6PM

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Voorhees Hall 105 (directions)

French, English. 146 mins (trailer)

Bertrand Bonello, 2023

The year is 2044: artificial intelligence controls all facets of a stoic society as humans routinely “erase” their feelings. Hoping to eliminate pain caused by their past-life romances, Gabrielle continually falls in love with different incarnations of Louis. Will the process allow Gabrielle to fully connect with Louis in the present, or are the two doomed to repeat their previous fates?

Production : Arte France Cinéma, Les Films du Bélier, My New Picture, Sons of Manual. Distribution : Janus films.

No Fear, No Die

Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at 6PM 

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Rutgers Academic Building East 2400 (directions)

French. 90 mins (trailer)

Claire Denis, 1990

Dah and Jocelyn, two immigrants from Benin and French Antilles, respectively, live on the outskirts of Paris and earn money from cockfights. The escalating violence of the bouts—at the encouragement of the white owner of the restaurant in whose basement the fights are held—takes its toll on the pair, and Jocelyn dreams of a life outside the brutal environment of feathered pugilism. 

Production : Camera One, Ciné B, Pyramide Productions, Les Films du Mindif. Distribution : Film Desk.

Anatomy of a Fall

Friday, February 28, 2025 at 6PM 

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Rutgers Academic Building West 2125 (directions)

French, English. 150 mins (trailer)

Justine Triet, 2023

For the past year, Sandra, her husband Samuel, and their eleven-year-old son Daniel have lived a secluded life in a remote town in the French Alps. When Samuel is found dead in the snow below their chalet, the police question whether he was murdered or committed suicide. Samuel’s suspicious death is presumed murder, and Sandra becomes the main suspect.

Production : Les Films Pelléas, Les Films de Pierre. Distribution : Neon.

Buffet-style dinner served after the screening ! Stick around to discuss your impressions about the film with other attendees.

The Five Devils

Saturday, March 1st, 2025 at 6PM 

RSVP here

Rutgers Academic Building West 2125 (directions)

French. 103 mins (trailer)

Léa Mysius, 2022

Eight-year-old Vicky has an unusual gift: she can recreate any scent she comes across, even that of her beloved mother Joanne. When Vicky’s estranged aunt suddenly returns to their mountain town, the invocation of her fragrance plunges the young girl back in time to unravel the mystery of Joanne’s fiery past with her now sister-in-law.

Production : Trois Brigands Productions, F comme Film. Distribution : Mubi.