Langue Étrangère

FOKUS: Films from Germany, curated by Camilla Baier, presents the film "Langue Étrangère" by Claire Burger. The film is the opening film of our FOKUS: Films from Germany festival, and we are pleased to offer a Q&A with the director Claire Burger, hosted by Camilla Baier, the curator of FOKUS: Films from Germany, following the screening. The film will be shown in its original language with English subtitles at the GFT.

2024 | Director: Claire Burger | Germany/France/Belgium | 105 minutes | German/French with English subtitles.

Langue Étrangère is a poignant coming-of-age drama about cross-cultural discovery. Fanny, a shy young French girl, embarks on a student exchange to Leipzig, where she stays with her eco-activist pen pal, Lena. As Fanny is drawn into the complexities of Lena’s politically charged family dynamics, she begins to question her own identity and assumptions.

Director Claire Burger deconstructs the typical foreign exchange narrative, presenting not an idealised family, but one grappling with generational and political tensions. Through this, the film unveils the personal struggles and societal challenges beneath the surface, as Fanny and Lena navigate their differences and form an unexpected bond.As well as strong performances from the two leads, Nina Hoss and Chiara Mastroianni bring depth to the roles of the girls' mothers, capturing their struggles to uphold their ideals amid the unraveling of their family lives.

With its exploration of language barriers, political tensions, and generational conflict, Langue Étrangère is a resonant meditation on the challenges facing young people today—climate anxiety, rising nationalism, and the search for belonging. It is a poignant reminder that true connection often transcends words, offering a narrative that speaks to the resilience needed to navigate our spiralling world.
 
 
Take part in our ticket raffle!

Win two tickets to the Fokus opening screening of “Langue Étrangère” at the Glasgow Film Theatre on Tuesday 21 January by answering a question on our Instagram channel.