Photo : wendigo films
Belleville Kitchen: screening and shared meal
Experience a beautiful portrait of childhood and integration filmed right in the heart of a local schoolhouse. After the screening, join your neighbors for a heartwarming potluck dinner where everyone is invited to share a dish that tells their own family story.
Bibliothèque Naguib Mahfouz (Paris 20th)
About
The Naguib Mahfouz library marks its 50th anniversary by hosting a screening of Marine Gautier’s documentary, Belleville Kitchen. This 72-minute film captures the daily life of a primary school class in Belleville, exploring themes of unity and cultural exchange as pupils share their family recipes. Part of the first Ciné Belleville festival, this event is free and fully inclusive, featuring accessibility for wheelchair users as well as the deaf and hard of hearing. Join the community for this heartfelt exploration of human connection through the lens of shared experiences and local diversity.
As part of the first edition of the Ciné Belleville festival, we will screen Belleville Kitchen, a film by Marine Gautier - 2026 (72 min) - co-produced by Wendigo Films and Via93 and filmed at the school on 104 rue de Belleville.
In the school on Rue de Belleville in Paris, Marion's fifth-grade class brings together children from all over the world. While tensions harden outside and the public school system seems to waver, the students learn to live together and understand each other through the transmission of their family recipes. A true lesson in humanity and sharing from a child's perspective.
,Born in 1991 in Seine-Saint-Denis, Marine Gautier is a documentary filmmaker. A graduate of the DEMC master's program (Documentary, Writing the Contemporary World), her works include: De shit et d’air pur, released in 2016, about a young suburban man completing community service on a farm; Pourquoi pas moi?!, released in 2019, which tells the story of a group of high school students in Seine-Saint-Denis preparing for the Sciences-Po entrance exam for disadvantaged schools; and 12 jours ensemble, released in 2022 and available on KuB, which follows teenagers at summer camp. Her films examine the role of society in shaping individuals. They focus on portraiture and the intimate to embody the era in a sensitive way.
To continue this evening of cultural mixing and discovery, we invite you to bring a culinary specialty to share after the screening.
This screening is part of the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Naguib Mahfouz Library.
Our take on this event
On Friday, October 16, 2026, head to the Naguib Mahfouz library to watch the documentary Belleville Kitchen, directed by Marine Gautier and co-produced by Wendigo Films and Via93. From 19:00 to 21:30, the 72-minute screening reveals how a CM2 class in Belleville navigates societal tensions by fostering understanding through the transmission of their unique family culinary traditions. The film highlights Gautier's signature focus on intimate portraiture to reflect on contemporary societal issues.
The evening continues after the film with a potluck-style shared meal. To encourage cross-cultural interaction, you are invited to bring a culinary specialty to share with other attendees. This event is part of the inaugural Ciné Belleville festival and marks the 50th anniversary of the library.
Attendance is free of charge. The venue is wheelchair accessible and equipped to accommodate deaf or hard-of-hearing guests.
