French May Cinema Programme
The 2026 edition of the French May Cinema Programme celebrates cinema in all its forms. From May 19 to June 3, we offer a diverse selection of French films presented in two sections: The Cinema of Marguerite Duras and The Art of French Comedy: 2026 Edition.
Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Marguerite Duras’ passing, The Cinema of Marguerite Duras is co-presented with Broadway Cinematheque, which also celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. We joined forces to introduce our Hong Kong audience to six long features directed by the renowned French novelist and playwright. It comprises four adaptations of her own novels and plays: “La Musica”, “Destroy, She Said”, “Yellow The Sun” and “India Song”; as well as two original works: “Nathalie Granger” and “The Night Boat”.
For this special occasion, we also collaborate with the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society’s Cinefan (May-July 2026), which also presents six films based on Marguerite Duras’ scripts: “Hiroshima Mon Amour”, “Seven Days… Seven Nights”, “The Long Absence”, “Mademoiselle”, “The Lover” and “The Sea Wall”. We made sure all the films can be watched by cinema-goers without any time clashes.
Showcasing the eclecticism of new French comedies, The Art of French Comedy presents six films released or soon to be released in 2026. “The Better Me” is a scathing critique of this urge to constantly compare oneself to goals set by society. “Tough Luck”, directed by Gérard Jugnot, who we welcomed in Hong Kong at the end of 2025 for the 54th Hong Kong French Film Festival. “Family Price” (Asian Premiere) is based on a play that was performed in Hong Kong in 2024. “Murder in the Building” is a crime comedy with Hitchcockian overtones. “Police Flash 80” is a cop comedy set in the 1980s, and “Marsupilami”, cumulating 6 million at the box office in France, is based on the comic book character created by André Franquin.
Last but not least, in collaboration with Intercontinental Hong Kong, we will have the privilege of screening the film "Santiago, The Camino Therapy" in exclusivity, as it will be released in Hong Kong later on this year.
Bonnes séances !
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The programme this year
THE CINEMA OF MARGUERITE DURAS
La Musica
A man returns to his hometown right after his wife has finalized their divorce in this brow-beating psychological drama.
Destroy she Said
Détruire dit-elle
On vacation at a quiet hotel, married couple Max and Alissa become fast friends with two new arrivals. The film focuses on themes of identity dissolution, political allegory, and psychological manipulation.
Yellow the Sun
Jaune le Soleil
A woman leads a dialogue between three men who embody conflicting ideologies. Through their confrontations, the film explores the power of language, political violence, and the fragile possibility of mutual understanding.
India Song
Anne-Marie Stretter is a bored wife of a French diplomat who engages in multiple affairs. The film is characterized by its
non-synchronous sound and image, where disembodied voices narrate the action while characters remain silent, embodying ennui, colonial
decay, and tragic romantic despair.
Nathalie Granger
Mrs Granger is worried about the future of her daughter Nathalie, who is of 'unmatched violence' according to her teacher.
The Night Boat
Le Navire Night
The movie showcases an anonymous telephone romance between a man and a woman who never meet. They communicate via unlisted lines left over from the German occupation. The film is a dreamlike exploration of desire, language, and profound loneliness.
THE ART OF FRENCH COMEDY
The Better Me
Alter Ego
Alex, a quiet forty-something, leads an ordinary life until new neighbours move in. The husband is Alex’s perfect lookalike… except
for one thing: he has hair. Alex sinks into a growing paranoia as he becomes preoccupied with this more charismatic, brilliant and
accomplished mysterious double.
Family Price
Chers Parents
A trio of siblings faces turmoil when their parents reveal they've won the lottery but refuse to share a cent, unravelling buried secrets,
unspoken tensions, and deep-seated jealousy that shake the family to its core.
Marsupilami
To save his job at the zoo, David agrees to a risky plan: bring back a mysterious package from South America. He ends up on a cruise ship with his ex, their son, and his clumsy, not-so-bright colleague Stéphane, who David uses to secretly transport the package for him.
Everything goes wrong when Stéphane accidentally opens the package and sets free an adorable baby Marsupilami. This rare and prized creature quickly turns the trip into complete chaos.
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Murder in the Building
Le Crime du 3e Étage
Colette, a Hitchcock films specialist, suspects Yann, the new neighbour, of having killed his wife. François, her husband and famous thriller author, isn’t fond of this remake of Rear Window. The couple embarks on a thrilling and risky investigation to find out whether such stories only happen in films.
Police Flash 80
Paris, the 1980s. Heroin trafficking is rampant in the capital. An old-school cop duo, Yvon and Johnny, are still holding down the fort… until Johnny gets killed. To bring down the network, Yvon is thrust into the leadership of an experimental unit: Police Flash 80 and now has to team up with young recruits who use modern methods.
Tough Luck
Mauvaise Pioche
Serge Martin, a peaceful retiree, is wrongly arrested and mistaken for France's most wanted man. Caught up in an uncontrollable media spiral, he embarks on a frantic race to prove his innocence and try to return to his quiet life.
Santiago: The Camino Therapy
Compostelle
Adam is a teenager who’s lost and heading in the wrong direction. A judge gives him a surprising choice: walk 800 kilometers on the Camino de Santiago to think about his future. He sets off with Fred, a tough and outspoken woman. Together, they go on a journey that could change their lives.
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