Direct Action

Celebrated filmmakers Guillaume Cailleau and Ben Russell capture the radical visions of environmental activists ZAD (Zone à Défendre) as embodied in their everyday communal living.

Screening dates and booking

Check which tickets are still available across the festival – and find out about extra ticket releases.

Credits

  • Directors

    Guillaume Cailleau, Ben Russell

  • Germany, France 2024. 212min

  • Courtesy of

    Shellac

  • Languages

    French, Arabic, English

    With English subtitles

Introduction

Filmed between 2022 and 2023, and composed of forty-one static takes, Direct Action creates a measured but tender portrait of France’s ZAD movement. While engaging with the question ‘how to see the community beyond their ideologies and militant strategies’, Cailleau and Russell have found a quietly immersive form to mirror ZAD’s revolutionary vision. Avoiding reportage, the film locates the sublime found in apparently mundane scenes of farming, cooking and cleaning.

Hyun Jin Cho

Content warning

Contains distressing scenes.

How to book

Tickets start from £10 for all screenings and events in London, with concessions available for many screenings. Booking information and ticket prices

If you’re aged 16 to 25, sign up for free to our BFI 25 & Under scheme for a chance to get £5 tickets to all screenings and events.

Missed out?

More tickets may become available for these screenings before and during the festival. Find out about extra ticket releases.

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