The Cultural Programme at Oxford University present, in partnership with the Ultimate Picture Palace

Film in Focus: Honouring Jean-Luc Godard

Welcome to Film in Focus, a new series that celebrates the power and artistry of cinema. For our inaugural programme, we pay tribute to the legendary French-Swiss filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard, whose groundbreaking work reshaped the language of film. Join us for a special screening of Godard’s three final films, a poignant and significant farewell from one of cinema’s greatest innovators. These bold, thought-provoking, and visually arresting works not only showcase the enduring brilliance of a filmmaker who never stopped challenging convention, but also mark a significant chapter in the history of cinema. All three films are in French with English subtitles.

Trailer of the Film that Will Never Exist: ‘Phony Wars’ (2023, 20 min)
(French: Film Annonce du Film qui n’existera Jamais: “Drôles de Guerres”)
Drôles de Guerres serves as a conceptual “trailer” for an unrealised feature adaptation of Belgian surrealist Charles Plisnier’s 1937 novel Faux Passeports. A collage of paintings, pictures and written notes, this film captures Godard’s meditations on war and cinema, showcasing his signature experimental style.

Scénarios (2024, 18 min)
An extraordinary epilogue to an uncompromised career, Scénarios assembles and layers paintings, collages, film clips, stills, and narration, including text from Sartre, read on screen—in an overwhelmingly poignant appearance—by Godard the day before his assisted death.

Exposé du Film annonce du film “Scénario” (2024, 34 min)
Conceptualised by Godard and shot by his trusted collaborator Fabrice Aragno, with Exposé du film annonce du film “Scénario” the maestro — cigar in hand — presents a guided tour of a scrapbook-meets-storyboard for a feature left unfinished.

Exclusive Q&A with Fabrice Aragno
We invite you to a special conversation with Fabrice Aragno, Godard’s close collaborator, following the screening. Aragno will explore Godard’s unique creative process, the ideas explored in these final films, and Aragno’s experience completing them — from detailed instructions left by Godard—after the director’s death. This is a rare opportunity to gain insight into the artistry and genius of one of cinema’s most iconic figures.

The Film in Focus series, presented by the Cultural Programme at Oxford University in partnership with the Ultimate Picture Palace and in collaboration with Dr C.W. Winter, who has brought together this extraordinary partnership and conversation.

The Film in Focus series will showcase some of the finest art house films from last year’s Cannes, Berlin, Venice, and Locarno film festivals. Many screenings will feature post-film Q&As with the filmmakers, offering audiences a unique and exciting opportunity to engage with the artists behind the works. The series connects the Cultural Programme at Oxford University with new audiences and partners as the programme prepares for its new home in the Schwarzman Centre in 2025.

Be the first to hear about the next film screening in the Film in Focus series by joining the Cultural Programme’s exclusive mailing list.