The Department of French & Italian and the International Film Series have partnered to bring in the Albertine Cinémathèque French Film Festival! Designed to expand access to French cinema and support film programming at American colleges and universities, Albertine Cinémathèque’s annual film selection engages with the greatest issues of our time while nurturing an enduring love for this diverse and evolving art form. Albertine Cinémathèque is part of the French For All initiative by Villa Albertine and Albertine Foundation and is made possible by the support of the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée (CNC).

Films were selected for their cultural and cinematic significance and will include special introductions from University faculty. All shows are also FREE for all to attend!

Special thank you to the Center for African and African American Studies (The CAAAS) for co-sponsoring this title!

NO CHAINS NO MASTERS Synopsis: In 1759, the Island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean is under French colonial rule. The enslaved population working in the sugar cane plantations live in constant fear. Among them, 16-year-old Mati (Anna Diakhere Thiandoum) refuses to accept her fate. Unlike her father Massamba (Ibrahima Mbaye), who has grown disillusioned by years of oppression, Mati dreams of freedom and a life beyond the plantation. One night, desperate to flee the violence of her captors, Mati finds refuge in a remote part of the island rumored to be home to a community of runaway slaves. Her escape triggers a ruthless pursuit.
The plantation owner (Benoìt Magimel) hires the merciless slave owner Madame La Victoire (Camille Cottin) and her sons to track her down.
Massamba realizes the brutal consequences awaiting her daughter if she gets captured. He has no choice but to break free from his chains and embark on a perilous journey through the island’s dense jungle to find her. The father and daughter’s journey becomes a desperate fight for survival and a final, irreversible break from the colonial system that has defined their lives.