French cinema Archives

This is a banner for a review of the movie Ulysse. Image courtesy of the filmmakers.

‘Ulysse’ is a Beacon of Hope (Cannes 2026 Film Review)

August 2, 2026 by Sarah Manvel

Ulysse is once again the kind of daily-life film at which French cinema excels. Here the family is a mother, her disabled son, and the army of professionals whose job it is to help her son find his way in the world. It is indeed an odyssey, told from the …

This is a banner for a review of the movie So Long a Letter. Image courtesy of the filmmakers.

African First Wives Club ‘So Long a Letter’ is More Than Your Feminist Duty (Film Review)

July 30, 2026 by Sarah Manvel

The Un Certain Regard Jury for the 2026 Cannes Film Festival was announced in April, and included three women: French actress Leïla Bekhti as jury president as well as Italian director Laura Samani and Senegalese director-producer Angèle Diabang. It’s clear Ms. Diabang was chosen because her movie So Long a …