From 2–8 March 2026, it is time for the 27th edition of Tempo Documentary Festival. This year’s opening film will be La belle année, the debut feature by director Angelica Ruffier. An autobiographical work, the film portrays this year’s theme, Real Love, in an intimate and uncompromising way. La belle année is also part of the competition in the Tempo Documentary Award category.
When Angelica’s father dies, she and her brother return to their childhood home in Morières-les-Avignon in southern France to clear out clutter and traces of a despotic father. During their time in the house, Angelica rediscovers her teenage diaries and the story of a secret love for her history teacher, Mademoiselle B. Through the diary entries, the infatuation unfolds in the present day, and the house is transformed into a place where memories, fantasies, and desires are once again allowed to take shape.
“We are very happy to open Tempo Documentary Festival 2026 with a Swedish debut film that has a truly distinctive voice. From the very first moment, the film establishes a strong sense of recognition in teenage love dreams and the melancholy of adult life, while also inviting the audience into the director’s own cinematic universe. We very much look forward to sharing the film with the festival’s audience,” says Ulrika Bandeira, Artistic Director of Tempo Documentary Festival.
Director Angelica Ruffier was born in Luleå, grew up in France, and has been based in Sweden since 2017. La belle année is her debut feature, following three previously directed short films. The film will have its world premiere at the prestigious International Film Festival Rotterdam in January and is produced by Marta Dauliūtė and Brynhildur Þórarinsdóttir at the production company MDEMC, with distribution by Folkets Bio.
“Real Love,” the festival’s theme, explores love as a force in people’s lives, relationships, and creative work, and how it is in turn shaped by politics, norms, and social conditions.
