THE STRANGER

(L’Etranger)

Special Screening | France, Belgique | 2026 | Drama | 120 min | In French with English subtitles |
Directed by: François Ozon
Written by: François Ozon, Philippe Piazzo
Based on the Book by: Albert Camus
Produced by: François Ozon (FOZ), Marie-Jeanne Pascal (Macassar Productions), Gaumont, France 2 Cinéma
Cinematography: Manu Dacosse
Original Score: Fatima Al Qadiri
Film Editing: Clément Selitzki
Cast: Benjamin Voisin (Mersault), Rebecca Marder (Marie Cardona), Pierre Lottin (Raymond Sintès), Denis Lavant (Salamano), Swann Arlaud (prison chaplain), Christophe Malavoy (judge), Nicolas Vaude (prosecutor)
International Sales: Gaumont
US Distributor: Music Box Films
US Release Date: TBA

Synopsis

Adapted from Albert Camus’ 1942 existentialist novella, The Stranger follows Meursault, an emotionally detached Frenchman living in 1930s colonial Algeria. After killing an Arab, Meursault’s indifference to social norms and apparent lack of grief at his mother’s funeral are scrutinized in minute detail during his trial. Virtuoso French director François Ozon‘s compelling take on Camus’ chilling masterwork is extremely faithful in tone, yet enriched by his meticulous black-and-white mise-en-scène, his contemporary take on the story’s colonial context, and his razor-sharp focus on Benjamin Voisin’s starkly exquisite central performance.

Director’s biography

François Ozon is one of the most provocative filmmakers to emerge from the 1990s wave of talented new directors. After earning a Master’s degree in cinema studies, Ozon attended La Femis film school and began to churn out inventive shorts, like A Summer Dress (1996), which won the Best Narrative Short Award at L.A. Outfest and was nominated for a César Award. His first feature, Sitcom, premiered in Cannes in 1998. Ozon has directed 49 films to date — 26 of them features.  Among his many awards, he’s nabbed three prizes in Berlin: for Water Drops on Burning Rocks (2000); the musical 8 Women (2002); and By the Grace of God (2018), his piercing examination of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. He’s won six prizes in San Sebastián: for Hideaway (2009), In the House (COLCOA 2013), Young & Beautiful (COLCOA 2014), The New Girlfriend (2014), Peter von Kant (TAFFF 2022), and When Fall Is Coming (2024). The Crime Is Mine (TAFFF 2023) was the opening film of the Festival Premiers Plans d’Angers. His films have garnered 22 César nominations and he was honored with the 2004 Douglas Sirk Award in Hamburg. The Stranger premiered in this year’s Venice Film Festival.