This month, the Alliance Française de Manille (AFM) is opening its doors to Filipinos who want to explore the history and culture of French cinema.
From December 1 to 6, 2025, the AFM is hosting the 28th French Film Festival. The week-long event is in partnership with the French Embassy of the Philippines and the Institut Français.
Photo: MUBI, Madman Films/YouTube
Throughout the week, attendees can watch eight critically acclaimed French films subtitled in English for free at the AFM office in Makati City. Each title discusses diverse themes and stories on love, self-discovery, resilience, and identity.
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If you’re a cinephile and eager to broaden your palate of international films before the year ends, the French Film Festival has you covered. Here are the eight movies that the AFM has in store this week for everyone at the event:
Sur les chemins noirs/On the Wandering Paths (2022)
When Pierre, a renowned writer and explorer, awakens from a life-threatening coma, he embarks on a tranquil journey towards freedom and inner peace. Sur les chemins noirs, based on Sylvain Tesson’s autobiography of the same title, chronicles Pierre’s adventures in the outskirts of France, where he strives to redeem himself from all his past shortcomings and careless decisions.
Le Lycéen/Winter Boy (2022)
Le Lycéen is a tender coming-of-age drama that follows 17-year-old Lucas as he navigates his final year of boarding school while mourning his father’s death. Overwhelmed with grief and longing, Lucas ventures out to Paris to find solace in the city as he spends time with his elder brother.
Chronique d’une liaison passagère/Diary of a Fleeting Affair (2022)
This film is dedicated to anyone whose love life has been full of casual conversations, fleeting connections, and relationships with “no strings attached.” Chronique d’une liaison passagère is a messy yet endearing story about a single mother and a married man who slowly catch feelings for one another after agreeing to be together just for fun. The pair portrays the universal experience of a carefree, no-pressure romance where both sides secretly yearn for something deeper.
Les Promesses/Promises (2021)
Les Promesses is a gripping drama that tackles the multiple layers of power dynamics, class disparity, and integrity. The film centers on Clarence, who deals with numerous social conflicts at the height of her career as a mayor.
Le Pharaon, le Sauvage et la Princesse/The Black Pharaoh, the Savage and the Princess (2022)
This animated anthology film features three magical tales across diverse worlds and ancient times. In Egypt, a young king makes a name for himself and fights for true love as the first black pharaoh. The next story is set in France, where a cunning young man steals from the rich to help the poor. And in Turkey, a princess who loves roses and a prince who loves pastries leave their royal duties behind to live out their happy ending together.
Maya, donne-moi un titre/Maya, Give Me a Title (2024)
Maya, Give Me a Title captures the unconditional love that French filmmaker Michel Gondry has for his daughter, Maya. In this heartfelt stop-motion movie, a father-daughter duo stays connected despite living apart. Every night, she gives him titles and ideas that he turns into short stories, with her as the protagonist and hero in each one.
Le Roi et l’oiseau/The King and the Mockingbird (1979)
The AFM will bring this classic animated film back to the big screen this week. Le Roi et l’oiseau is a humorous tale about a shepherdess and a chimney sweep who wish to escape from a corrupt king who’s obsessed with his reputation and image.
La Fracture/The Divide (2021)
In La Fracture, Raf and Julie’s rocky relationship is put to the test as they get involved in a hospital dilemma during a major protest. This film brings queer love, comedy, and social commentary together through the two women, who try their best to make amends and power through the evening in a hectic emergency ward.
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Have you already signed up for this year’s French Film Festival? Which movies will you be watching? Let us know in the comments below!
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