ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Julia Ducournau's 'Alpha' Explores Mother-Daughter Bond in Dystopian 1980s Le Havre

other · 2026-04-01

Julia Ducournau's new film 'Alpha' is set in Le Havre during the 1980s, focusing on 13-year-old Alpha (Mélissa Boros) and her mother (Golshifteh Farahani), a doctor. After a wild party, Alpha returns with a self-carved tattoo, sparking fears of a deadly virus. The mother works among the dying, while society stigmatizes the infected, who turn to marble-like stone. Alpha's uncle Amin (Tahar Rahim), a drug addict, reappears, seeking euthanasia. The film blends reality, fantasy, memory, and hallucination, examining trauma across generations. Ducournau contrasts warm, saturated past with desaturated present to show societal fragmentation. 'Alpha' is a psychogram of a mother-daughter relationship, exploring symbiosis and release. The film runs 127 minutes, releases in France on April 2, 2026, and on DVD July 2, 2026, distributed by Plaion Pictures. Ducournau also discusses her earlier film 'Titane' (2021), starring Agathe Rousselle as Alexia, a woman who kills with a hairpin and becomes pregnant by a car. Ducournau rejects being labeled a 'woman director,' stating 'I'm me.'

Key facts

  • Julia Ducournau's film 'Alpha' is set in Le Havre, 1980s.
  • Mélissa Boros plays 13-year-old Alpha; Golshifteh Farahani plays her mother.
  • Tahar Rahim plays Amin, the mother's drug-addicted brother.
  • The film explores a mother-daughter relationship and societal stigma during a virus outbreak.
  • Infected characters turn to marble-like stone; blood mutates to red desert sand.
  • Ducournau contrasts warm saturated past with desaturated present to show societal change.
  • 'Alpha' runs 127 minutes, releases in France on April 2, 2026, DVD July 2, 2026.
  • Plaion Pictures distributes 'Alpha'.
  • Ducournau's 'Titane' (2021) features Agathe Rousselle as Alexia, who kills with a hairpin and becomes pregnant by a car.
  • Ducournau rejects being called a 'woman director', stating 'I'm me.'

Entities

Artists

  • Julia Ducournau
  • Mélissa Boros
  • Golshifteh Farahani
  • Tahar Rahim
  • Ambrine Trigo Quaked
  • Louai El Amrousy
  • Agathe Rousselle
  • Bertrand Bonello
  • Ruben Impens
  • David Paul Cronenberg
  • Caravaggio
  • René Magritte

Institutions

  • Plaion Pictures
  • Variety

Locations

  • Le Havre
  • France

Sources