Country: France
Language: French, Arabic, Latin

“One of Ozon’s most strikingly beautiful films to date…incredibly stylish, a shimmering monochrome affair” – Damon Wise, Deadline

About the film:

Meursault (Benjamin Voisin) works as a clerk at an office in Algiers during the French colonial occupation. A modest man who keeps to himself, Meursault finds his routine upended by the sudden death of his mother. At her funeral, he faces scrutiny from all corners for his failure to perform his grief. Meursault’s reputation for otherworldly detachment carries over to all aspects of his life, from his tentative romance with Marie (Rebecca Marder) to his indifference to professional advancement. As Meursault gets swept up in a cycle of escalating reprisals among his neighbors, tensions come to a head when he murders an Arab man on the beach. A Frenchman may offer many defenses for shooting an Arab in Algeria, but Meursault’s refusal of excuse or remorse shakes colonial society to its core.

Photographed in sterling, sensuous black-and-white, François Ozon’s new take on Albert Camus’s classic novel of existentialist ennui is a landmark of adaptation, simultaneously faithful to the text and dedicated to discovering fresh perspectives in the margins.

About the filmmaker:

François Ozon is a French filmmaker known for his prolific output and elegant, genre-blending storytelling. Emerging in the late 1990s, he gained international recognition with films such as Sitcom (1998) and Under the Sand (2000).

Ozon has since directed a wide range of acclaimed works, including the musical drama 8 Women (2002), the mystery Swimming Pool (2003), and the romantic drama Frantz (2016). Known for his versatility, Ozon moves fluidly between tones and styles, often exploring themes of desire, identity, and the complexities of human relationships with wit, precision, and emotional depth.

MAJOR SUPPORT
Ohio Arts Council
Greater Columbus Arts Council
The Columbus Foundation
Campus Partners

WITH HELP FROM
G&J Pepsi
WOSU Public Media