World Cinema
Alpha / Alpha
Director's bio
Julia Ducournau
Julia Ducournau (b. 1983, Paris) is a French filmmaker renowned for her bold explorations of body horror and psychological transformation. A graduate of La Fémis, she first gained recognition with the short Junior (2011, Cannes). Her debut feature Raw (2016) won the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes, and her second film Titane (2021) won the Palme d’Or. Her latest work Alpha (2025) continues her fascination with the human body as a site of vulnerability and metamorphosis.
Synopsis
A troubled 13-year-old girl returns home with a mysterious tattoo that unsettles her family and community. As fear and suspicion spread, the girl’s transformation becomes a metaphor for disease, identity, and adolescence. Ducournau uses body horror and psychological tension to explore themes of belonging, stigma, and metamorphosis. The film builds on her fascination with the human body as a site of both vulnerability and power, creating a visceral portrait of adolescence. Through unsettling imagery and emotional intensity, Alpha examines how society reacts to difference and how transformation can be both terrifying and liberating.
Details of Cast
Tahar Rahim, Golshifteh Farahani, Emma Mackey
Details of Crew
Cinematography: Ruben Impens; Editing: Jean-Christophe Bouzy, Music: Jim Williams, Sound Design: Paul Maernoudt, Olivier Thys, Guillaume De Bergeyck
Producer Details
Jean des Forêts, Nicolas Altmayer
Writer Details
Julia Ducournau
Stills
Films in this category
2025
Mirrors No. 3
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Sundays
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Tiger’s Bay
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Die My Love
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Mariana’s Room
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Franz
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Gloaming in Luomu
Categories
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- The Pantheon of IFFK: Lifetime (10)
- From Under The Olive Tree (4)
- 50 Years of Rajeevnath (1)
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