Imagine a wave of French-speaking voices crashing over a community, bringing stories that challenge our narrow views of culture—yet many are still unprepared for the tide. But here's where it gets interesting: a local initiative is stepping up to bridge the gap, and it's sparking conversations about what 'French' really means in a global world.
This fall, the innovative project French Around the Corner is proud to unveil its inaugural Francophone Film Festival, teaming up with esteemed partners like the Spurlock Museum, the Institut Français, and Villa Albertine. Running from September 12 through December 5, the event showcases a fresh French-language film every two weeks, creating a vibrant space for cultural exploration.
At the heart of it all, the Spurlock Museum hosts these screenings at no cost, ensuring inclusivity with English subtitles for both native French speakers and newcomers. This thoughtful approach broadens our understanding of French culture far beyond the iconic Eiffel Tower, celebrating its rich, worldwide tapestry. As Aurore Mroz, an associate professor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the driving force behind French Around the Corner, puts it, "French is a lot more than metropolitan France and the Eiffel Tower." It's a reminder that French-speaking communities span continents, from Africa to the Americas, each adding unique flavors to the global Francophone identity.
French Around the Corner itself is a groundbreaking public research initiative dedicated to democratizing French language access in the Champaign-Urbana area. They offer complimentary classes for young learners aged 3 to 11, facilitate engaging discussions for adults, and even work to stock local libraries with French-language books, making the language approachable and fun for everyone.
The festival's mission is to spotlight Francophone narratives that often remain out of reach for mainstream U.S. audiences. Organizers deliberately select films that are hard to find here, shining a light on diverse stories and voices. And this is the part most people miss: these selections aren't just entertainment—they're a gateway to empathy and understanding across cultural divides.
Take the second adult feature, "Six pieds sur Terre," directed by Algerian-born filmmaker Karim Bensalah. This compelling tale follows the son of a diplomat who lands a job at a Muslim funeral home to dodge deportation from France. In his role, he assists with ghusl mayyit—a sacred Islamic ritual involving the gentle washing and wrapping of the deceased before burial—forcing him to confront and reconnect with his cultural roots in unexpected ways. It's a poignant exploration of identity, loss, and heritage.
Junior engineering student Robert Barthell was struck by its originality. "Hollywood is devoid of originality and creativity," he remarked. "Foreign films expose you to different cultures and languages." Indeed, the movie delves into themes of death, mourning, and family bonds, illustrating how Francophone cultural identity weaves through personal struggles.
Graduate student Nico Norris, who's studying French, echoed this sentiment: "We speak different languages, we have different cultures and customs, (but) we also have very similar experiences, no matter who we are or what we look like." Norris, alongside the Graduate Student Organization, teamed up with Mroz to launch the festival after a serendipitous Zoom meeting for the Albertine Cinématèque grant from the French Consulate. This funding supports screening six French-language films at U.S. universities, fostering cross-cultural connections.
The graduate students aimed for adult-oriented screenings, while Mroz envisioned kid-friendly options to enhance her project's outreach. They merged their visions seamlessly: Mroz handles the children's films, graduate students curate the adult ones, and the bi-weekly schedule alternates between the two, welcoming Francophones of all generations. It's a collaborative model that ensures no one is left out.
Mroz emphasizes the urgency of these efforts amid a booming local Francophone population. "We’re completely underprepared," she warned. "We have a huge influx of francophone speakers; it’s a tsunami that a lot of people are not seeing coming." The Champaign-Urbana Francophone community is wonderfully varied, drawing from places like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Algeria, France, Belgium, Canada, and beyond. This diversity enriches the area, but it also highlights the need for better support.
"All the work needs to be done," Mroz stated. "It starts with things like the Francophone Film Festival to value not just the language, but also the culture, the representation that these French-speaking populations from Champaign-Urbana are bringing with them." The films intentionally move away from clichéd portrayals—think beyond the stereotypical elderly white Parisian gentleman—and feature strong female characters and people of color, giving diverse community members a chance to see themselves reflected on screen.
For Norris, these movies are eye-openers for students whose perceptions of French culture might be skewed. "When you are a student taking French, you’re thinking, ‘We’re gonna talk about Paris and baguettes,’" he noted. These limited views mirror broader stereotypes that romanticize French culture, often ignoring its complexities.
"French suffers from ‘prestige,’" Mroz explained. "People tend to have a caricatural view of French; it tends to be positive." But here's where it gets controversial: the festival's films challenge this idealized image by tackling real-world issues like police brutality, mortality, and family conflicts—topics that resonate deeply with American experiences too. It's a bold deconstruction of glamour, reminding us of our shared humanity.
"It's easy to overlook humanity — the human experience — and how there’s a lot of similarities," Norris added. By confronting these stereotypes head-on, the festival invites viewers to question their assumptions and appreciate the depth of Francophone stories.
The adult film series wraps up on November 5 with "Un petit frère," a touching narrative about a family relocating to the Parisian suburbs from the Ivory Coast, exploring themes of immigration and adaptation. And the excitement doesn't stop there—the Francophone Film Festival is set to return next semester with six brand-new films, promising even more cultural discoveries.
What do you think? Does challenging stereotypes in French culture change how we view global identities? Is immigration a 'tsunami' we should welcome with open arms, or does it demand stricter preparation? Share your thoughts in the comments—do you agree with these efforts, or see a counterpoint we're missing? Let's discuss!
