
ALICE DOUARD | FRANCE | 2025 | 97 MIN | FRENCH EST
ALICE DOUARD | FRANCE | 2025 | 97 MIN | FRENCH EST
The city is Paris, the year is 2014, and same-sex marriage has recently been legalized in France. Céline and Nadia—both in their thirties—decide to get married and start a family (via insemination) but as pioneers of lesbian parenting, they quickly discover how far from equality they actually remain. A remarkable debut from Alice Douard, Des preuves d’amour (Love Letters) explores the trials of lesbian parenting, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments to help ease the tension of unrelenting obstacles. While most would agree that one can never truly prepare for parenthood, Douard’s film shows the barriers that a lesbian couple must overcome—to name a few, there’s mandatory marital status, adoption papers for the non-gestational parent, and fifteen letters of attestation from friends and family (PS–they can’t all be lesbians!). Though these demands compound an already overwhelming milestone, Céline (Ella Rumpf) and Nadia (Monia Chokri, Les amours imaginaires) persist, enduring character judgments and microaggressions as they navigate through the endless bureaucratic hoops that no heterosexual couple would have to surpass. But the most significant challenge for Céline will be to reconnect her estranged mother Marguerite—a famous concert pianist who’s currently in Paris for a tour—from whom Céline needs a letter.
Alice Douard is a French filmmaker and screenwriter, and a graduate of La Fémis. She has received critical acclaim for her work in both short and feature films, including her award-winning short L’Attente, which won the César for Best Short Film in 2024. Douard’s work is recognized for its thoughtful exploration of human relationships and queer identities. Her debut feature, Des preuves d’amour (Love Letters), premiered at the 2025 Cannes Critics’ Week and has been featured in several international festivals. She continues to develop projects that center underrepresented voices in contemporary cinema.
Marine Arrighi de Casanova, Marie Boitard + Alice Douard
Alice Douard
Jacques Girault
PARTNERS
You might also like