Based on Nicolas Mathieu's novel, Connemara is a French drama directed by Alex Lutz. The film stars Mélanie Thierry, Bastien Bouillon, and Jacques Gamblin. Premiering in the Cannes Première section at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, the feature film was released in theaters on September 10, 2025. After making the rounds at festivals and theaters, it will be broadcast on Canal+ on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at 9:10 pm.
Hélène, coming from humble beginnings, has long since left the Vosges behind to build a new life elsewhere. In her forties, a sudden burnout forces her to return to her childhood region, between Nancy and Épinal, with her family. What was initially seen as a chance for renewal soon pulls her back into the intimate and social circles she had distanced herself from.
One evening, in the parking lot of a franchised restaurant, she reunites with Christophe Marchal, a former hockey player once admired in high school. This encounter rekindles an old attraction and sparks a connection between two people whom time, social backgrounds, and life choices had kept apart. Without aiming for melodrama, the film explores the possibility of a late-blooming love tested by social identities, memories, and disillusionments.
With Connemara, Alex Lutz continues to explore intimate stories and characters torn between conflicting emotions. The film adapts Nicolas Mathieu's 2022 novel, following the filmmaker’s deep dive into the writer’s universe. Co-writing with Amélia Guyader, Lutz centers the story from Hélène’s perspective, shaping the narrative around her journey back to the provinces and a relationship that threatens to destabilize the fragile balance she’s been working to rebuild.
The filming took place between Nancy and Épinal, staying true to the landscapes and materials of the Grand Est region. Éponine Momenceau’s cinematography, which earned her the CST Young Technician Award at Cannes 2025, focuses on a sensory approach, emphasizing the human body, textures, and traces of the past. Memories are presented as fragments, like sudden bursts of recollection, rather than straightforward flashbacks. This stylistic choice immerses the film in a tone that is both sensuous, melancholic, and socially conscious.
With its pacing and subject matter, Connemara appeals to viewers who are drawn to emotionally charged dramas rooted in contemporary French society. The film will also resonate with fans of Nicolas Mathieu and those interested in literary adaptations that explore social divides without turning them into didactic speeches. In a related vein, it evokes works where romantic stories also serve as powerful reflections of class, background, and geography.
Connemara
Film | 2025
Release in cinemas: September 10, 2025
TV broadcast: on Canal+ Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at 9:10 PM
Drama | Duration: 1h55
Directed by Alex Lutz | Starring Mélanie Thierry, Bastien Bouillon, Jacques Gamblin
Original title: Connemara
Country: France
Reflecting on a love hindered by time, social barriers, and life choices, Connemara offers more than a typical romance—it provides an intimate portrait of characters haunted by their pasts. Alex Lutz directs a portrayal of a peripheral France devoid of clichés, focused on sensations, tired bodies, quiet hopes, and the pull between social mobility and loyalty to one's roots.
Fans of this kind of storytelling might also want to check out The Things We Said, the Things We Did by Emmanuel Mouret, which delicately explores adult relationships and emotions. Alternatively, there's The Girl with the Bracelet by Stéphane Demoustier, a contemporary French film where silence, social backgrounds, and unspoken truths deeply influence the characters’ interactions.
To explore even further, check out our curated list of must-watch movies, series, and TV shows this week, our guide to latest releases across all streaming platforms, and today’s top picks in what to stream today.
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