In a film that runs three hours and eleven minutes, the highly knowledgeable film-lover and filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier—who has already directed a comprehensive survey of American cinema—takes us on a journey through the history of French cinema. A production that Tavernier describes as "the work of a citizen and a spy, an explore and a painter, a chronicler and an adventurer," this project travels through a century of French films, from Renoir to Becker, covering film by Duvivier, Demy, Vigo, Grangier, Gréville, Guitry, and many others.

Cinema-loving film festivals around the world are currently gearing up to present A Journey Through French Cinema, which was screened for the first time at Cannes 2016 in the Cannes Classics section. It will begin its world tour at the exclusive Telluride International Film Festival in the USA, before being shown at the San Sebastian International Film Festival (SSIFF), and the New York Film Festival (NYFF) early October. Its French release is scheduled for October 12.