Find your next film at Dublin’s French Film Festival this November
by 
Babylon Radio
Listen nowA family drama, a restored cinema and a Catherine Deneuve classic offer three very different ways into this year’s Peugeot IFI French Film Festival. Running from 18 to 29 November at the Irish Film Institute in Temple Bar, it gives Dublin audiences almost two weeks to explore French cinema beyond the familiar favourites.
The IFI’s 12 October announcement lists 34 features and 25 Irish premieres. Rather than treating that as a viewing challenge, pick one film that sounds like your sort of evening. A documentary with its director in the room can feel very different from a weekend screening of a classic.
Three ways to start
Words of Love opens the festival on Wednesday 18 November, with screenings at 19:30 and 19:50. Rudi Rosenberg’s film follows Erika, played by Hafsia Herzi, and her teenage daughter Abigaëlle as the girl’s wish to find her absent father unsettles their family. The opening screenings are followed by a wine and cheese reception.
That combination offers a ready-made evening for friends who want something to talk about afterwards. If the opening night does not suit, the film’s booking page also lists a Sunday 22 November screening at 14:10. Choose the screening time on the individual booking page when making plans.
For anyone drawn to buildings and the people who make them work, Construction Site screens on Thursday 19 November at 18:20. Jean-Stéphane Bron’s documentary follows the transformation of Paris’s old Paramount Theatre into the Pathé Palace. It turns attention towards the workers and decisions behind a cinema usually experienced only from a seat in the dark.
Bron is scheduled to take part in a question-and-answer session afterwards. That makes this a particularly appealing choice if you enjoy hearing how a film was made. You could ask about following a building project over several years or how the director chose whose work to show.
A different option is Belle de Jour, showing at noon on Saturday 21 November. Luis Buñuel’s film stars Catherine Deneuve as Séverine, whose secret life challenges the surface calm of her marriage. Its adult themes and play with fantasy make it a choice for viewers interested in provocative classic cinema.
Booking your evening
The festival brochure lists cinema tickets at €15, with the opening film and reception priced at €18. Non-members also need €1.50 daily membership. Existing members can buy packages of five films for €65 or ten for €110, excluding the opening film. Check the official brochure and booking page for the screening you choose.
The IFI is at 6 Eustace Street, Temple Bar. Its visitor guide lists Westmoreland and Trinity on the Luas Green Line, Jervis on the Red Line and Tara Street DART station as nearby public transport options. If you are travelling into town after work, check the autumn DART and commuter timetable changes before choosing your train. Leave time to find the entrance and settle in rather than turning a film night into a race across town.
A festival beyond the cinema
There is also a home-viewing strand featuring nine Éric Rohmer films. The brochure lists pre-sales from 4 November and viewing from 18 November, at €4.99 per film or €34.99 for the collection. Check IFI@Home’s rental conditions and location availability before paying.
Whether you choose a director’s discussion, a family story or a classic you have never seen, start with curiosity rather than a must-watch list. One well-chosen screening can be enough to find a filmmaker you want to follow.