Edinburgh – Institut Français d’Ecosse
November 17, 2026 @ 18:00
Introduction by Sue Harris (Professor Emerita of Film Studies at Queen Mary University of London and an internationally renowned specialist in French cinema) & Dr Bill Kidd, Honorary Senior Research Fellow, University of Stirling.
A journey through the war memorials of the First World War scattered throughout France. These statues, present in almost every town, embody the memory of the missing soldiers, often forgotten in modern
daily life. By revisiting these works of stone and bronze, director Jérôme Prieur invites us to look beyond the simple monument, to perceive the personal and collective stories they represent.
Through striking images, Jérôme Prieur explores the diversity of monuments in memory of the 1914-1918 conflict. Some glorify soldiers in heroic postures, while others expose exhaustion, sadness, and even
anger in the face of war. Renaud Personnaz’s camera lingers on the faces and gestures of the statues, restoring the emotion of these tributes frozen in time.
Marc-Olivier Dupin’s soundtrack reinforces this dive into a national memory marked by mourning and dignity.
"A unique look at an ‘invisible museum’ that bears witness to the suffering and resilience of French society in the face of the Great War."
Subscribe to the French Film Festival UK newsletter
We’ll bring you our recommendations of the best Francophone titles, either on demand or in the cinema. We’ll also keep you up to date with all the latest happenings at the French Film Festival UK in November and December.
