To celebrate its five years, the Open-Air Film Festival is taking us far away. Under the universal theme of "The Journey", this 2026 edition celebrates adventure, the discovery of others, and the quest for self.
Wednesday, August 5: Wonder and Adventure
The journey begins with wonder, that fresh look one casts upon the unknown. To open this first evening, we dive into the sumptuous aesthetics of Azur & Asmar: The Princes' Quest by Michel Ocelot. A true bridge between cultures, this tale transports us to a dreamlike medieval Maghreb where the quest for a legendary fairy becomes a lesson in brotherhood.
The evening then picks up intensity with the energy of Steven Spielberg in The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn. Here, travel is synonymous with perpetual motion, archaeological mysteries, and frantic chases. Finally, we close this first stop in grand style with the mythical A Trip to the Moon by Georges Méliès. This 1902 masterpiece, presented here with its dedicated documentary, reminds us that cinema has been, since its origins, the most fabulous machine for exploring the impossible.
Thursday, August 6: Memory and the Quest for Self
The journey is also, and perhaps above all, internal. This second stop leaves action behind for contemplation and resilience. We begin with the meditative walk of Tsai Ming-liang in Journey to the West, before following a more historical and poignant route: that of Primo Levi's Journey. This documentary transports us across Europe in the footsteps of the writer, transforming the geographical path into a necessary duty of memory.
The emotion continues with the melancholy of The Illusionist by Sylvain Chomet, a tribute to the world of entertainment that is fading away. The evening ends with the improbable and heart-wrenching journey of Alvin Straight in David Lynch's The Straight Story. Aboard his simple lawnmower, this old man proves that the value of a journey lies not in its speed, but in the sincerity of the approach. A moment of pure cinema, where every kilometer traveled is a reconciliation with the past.
Friday, August 7: Fantastic Crossing
For the festival's closing, we break the boundaries of reality. Travel here becomes a transgression of the laws of physics. We open with the sci-fi masterpiece Arco by Ugo Bienvenu, which projects us into 2075 for a striking visual reflection on our future. Then, make way for the meticulously timed humor and saturated colors of Wes Anderson with The Darjeeling Limited, a brotherly odyssey across India that hides, beneath its comedic air, a deep spiritual quest.
The tension rises with the baroque universe of Terry Gilliam in Time Bandits, where a troupe of dwarves leads a young boy through the corridors of time to rob History. Finally, we will end this festival on the shores of experimentation with La Jetée by Chris Marker. This cinematic photo-novel, of rare power, questions the fragility of our memories and the inevitability of fate, leaving the viewer with a sense of absolute vertigo.