“Her Song,” a French comedy-drama executive produced by Oscar winner James Ivory, will receive its world premiere as the opening night selection of Cinequest on March 10 in San Jose, California.
The film, directed by John M. Keller, marks the first French and American-accented English speaking role for Indian cinema star Kalki Koechlin, who leads an international ensemble opposite French actor Eléa Clair. The cast also includes Zach Grenier, Thais Sobreira, Marie-Christine Adam and Christophe Grundmann, who appears following his role in the 2026 Oscar-nominated short “Two People Exchanging Saliva.”
Set in a secluded village in the French Pyrenees, the drama follows Olivia, an American writer who returns to her family’s ancestral home – where her grandmother fled Paris during the Nazi invasion in World War II – seeking material for a long-stalled novel. There she encounters Madeline, a talented local woman whose ingenuity and spirit echo memories of her grandmother. As Olivia incorporates details from Madeline’s life into her fictional narrative, three storylines intersect: her grandmother’s past, her novel and Olivia’s present-day experiences.
Through her bond with Madeline, Olivia discovers that each person carries a unique inner song, inspired by a fabricated story about a Namibian tribal tradition.
Koechlin won India’s National Film Award for “Margarita with a Straw,” which also earned her best actress honors at the Indian Screen Awards and Times of India Film Awards. Her credits include Berlinale selection “Gully Boy” and Netflix series “Sacred Games,” as well as Prime Video’s “Made in Heaven.”
Ivory, whose credits include “Call Me By Your Name,” “Howards End” and “A Room With a View,” executive produces alongside Eric Gruendemann. Marine Assaiante, Clair and John M. Keller produce. Wilhelm Kuhn and Thomas Walser serve as cinematographers, with music by Dhruv Goel and editing by Maud Babinot.
“Opening night at Cinequest is about more than launching a festival. It’s an invitation,” said Michael Rabehl, Cinequest director of programming and associate director. “‘Her Song’ captured us immediately because it feels alive to curiosity, memory and the quiet magic of human connection. It’s a film that listens as much as it speaks, weaving past and present into something playful, intimate and unexpectedly profound.“
English (US) ·