To Die a Frenchman
When French Colonial Histories Become Part of Everyday Life
For Ages 14+
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Speakers
80 min | Tamil with English Subtitles | 2026 | India
Monsieur Mounissamy is a seventy-year-old man living in the crumbling neighbourhood of Ville Noir in Pondicherry, where French street names fade into dust and memories of empire linger. Each July 14th, French National Day, he unfurls a flag mirroring the French tricolour and sings, in trembling, imperfect French, an anthem to a “Mother France” he believes could still reclaim him. He spends his life fighting for French citizenship and a tiny plot of Indian land, anchoring himself in histories that abandoned him. What do we call those who never crossed a border, yet woke up one day to find themselves citizens of a country they did not choose?
When colonial France withdrew from Pondicherry without a plebiscite, it disregarded its own constitutional principles, and native Tamils became unintended bystanders in a political contest between two nations. Mounissamy’s longing for French citizenship was not merely a legal pursuit, but an attempt to reclaim an identity stolen from him. Shot over five years, this cinematic elegy looks beyond Pondicherry’s romanticised French facade to confront colonialism, citizenship and belonging.
The screening will be followed by a discussion between Pankaj Rishi Kumar, the director and Ramjee Chandran. The session will end with an audience Q&A.
This event is part of a double bill of films exploring French colonial histories, memories and their lasting legacies. We invite you to join us for both screenings.
In collaboration with:
Venue: Seminar Halls
Speakers
Pankaj Rishi Kumar
Pankaj graduated from FTII Pune (1992) and made his first film, Kumar Talkies (1998), before becoming a one-man crew across works including Pather Chujaeri, The Vote, and 3 Men and a Bulb. Since 2012, he has documented Pondicherry, a former French colony, in Two Flags (2019), Janani’s Juliet (India’s official Oscar entry), and To Die a Frenchman (World Premiere, Rotterdam, 2026), engaging with the Tamil French community and its historical past. His films have screened at festivals including Berlin, Rotterdam, and Busan, and he has won grants from Hubert Bals, IFA, and Jan Vrijman. He held an Asia Society fellowship at Harvard’s Asia Center (2003) and is an alumnus of the Asian Film Academy (Busan) and Berlin Talents.
Ramjee Chandran
Ramjee Chandran is an author with decades of experience in publishing. His novel For No Reason at All was published in January 2025, and his second book, Bengaluru: The History of Bangalore, is due for launch in October 2026. He has begun work on a project about the historic French presence in Bangalore and Mysore, a period of nearly half a century that remains largely forgotten. He hosts two podcasts, The History of Bangalore and The Literary City, the latter featuring conversations with internationally acclaimed authors.
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