Francophone Film Festival: Promised Sky

An Ivorian pastor and former journalist, Marie, opens her home in Tunisia to three generations of migrant women: Naney, Jolie, and Kenza. A mother desperate to obtain residency status in Tunisia, Naney seeks a better life for herself and her daughter. Jolie, in Tunisia on a student visa, feels burdened by her family’s expectations for her future. Kenza, an orphaned child and the only survivor of a shipwreck carrying refugees to Tunisia, is lost and in need of a mother. Marie struggles with her role as a spiritual leader while assuming the role of Kenza’s caregiver and supporting Naney and Jolie. As the four women grow closer in this makeshift family, they must grapple with poverty, conflict, and alienation.

The RLL department is proud to present the 2026 Francophone Film Festival. Uniting every film is a throughline that explores the theme of global health through a decolonial lens. Through stories of migration, displacement, conflict, motherhood, mental health, and social connections, the festival invites audiences to reflect on the ways health is shaped by culture, place, and community across Francophone countries. Bringing cinema into conversation with questions of global health and social justice, the series invites audiences to rethink what care means in an interconnected world.

Organized by the Romance Languages and Literatures Department with the support of French Connexions Center for Excellence. This festival would not be possible without the support of the 2026-2027 Albertine Cinémathèque Grant. Albertine Cinémathèque is part of the French for All initiative by Villa Albertine – The French Institute for Culture and Education, and Albertine Foundation, and is made possible thanks to the support of the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée (CNC) and Unifrance.