Drawing on experiences she had in her own life, Alice Douard’s Love Letters is completely personal and touching. Her directorial debut quietly shares an intimate story. Showing the difficulties same sex couples — particularly women — face when marrying and adopting children in France. Until recently, both these things were illegal. When France finally allowed for same sex marriage, the process for them to have children together did not get easier. Love Letters shares the truly moving story of two women following their marriage and attempt to become legal parents.
France 2014, Paris more specifically, the government has just made same sex marriage legal. Céline (Ella Rumpf) is preparing to be a first time mother. The thing is, however, she is not the one pregnant, her wife Nadia (Monia Chokri) is the one who is. In three months, after Nadia gives birth, Céline must prepare for the long process of adopting her child. As she did not carry the child, the law in France is that they must adopt to be legal guardians. Friends, family and acquaintances must writer Céline letters for the court. These letters will be used to convince the court she is fit to be a mother. This process takes her to her friends, her mother and the law to find a legitimacy in motherhood.
Douard’s debut is crafted as a soft and sentimental film. She shares a story that deserves to be told. It may have been over a decade ago when laws in France changed, but the LGBTQ+ community still struggles. They are still being persecuted and treated unfairly nowadays. In sharing such a tender tale, Douard brings awareness to the difficulties queer couples faced and still face in terms of growing their own families.
“The unknown is scary.”
There is a playful quality to the sound and opening of the film. Yet even with this somber melody, there is the ever looming knowledge of how hard it will be for Céline to be an official mother to her child. Ella Rumpf portrays Céline with such an innocence and anxiousness to her. As much as Douard has crafted a beautiful piece of cinema and storytelling, the important parts are in the portrayals of the characters. The audience needs to become emotionally connected to Céline and even Nadia. Rumpf and Chokri’s chemistry allow for this connection to be made. By developing a strong relationship with each other, this allows each viewer to see the two in a new light. They are not simply two wives, but they are people. Human beings who wish to be seen as mothers officially by the law.
Through her attentiveness and care with the script, Douard built a world that brings each viewer in. The way in which Céline and Nadia’s lives have been shaped allow for an empathy and understanding to be formed. As the audience you are brought into their world in all aspects. Love Letters is so subtle. There is an element there that makes you feel like its real and you are watching a woman’s truth unfold in front of her eyes. Not only is it difficult to be a young woman, but being queer, society and government do not make it easy for you either. The film was clearly made for a specific audience in mind. It allows for queer females to connect to Céline but it also provides the information for others to learn.
It is becoming more important and impactful for filmmakers to create films that showcase queer stories. Not only does it allow for members of the LGBTQ+ community to be seen and heard, but it allows for a discussion to begin surrounding the story. Some films only show a straight look into the lives of LGBTQ+, but when any film has a queer eye behind the camera that is when our stories are actually shared. Love Letters is a subtle and intimate look into one woman’s story and how lives are changed every day by what happens through societal norms and government decisions.
Alice Douard’s directorial feature debut premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2025 as part of the Director’s Fortnight. Most recently, the Leeds International Film Festival chose it to be part of its Constellation programme, premiering there on November 2, 2025. For a beautiful and realistic film, look no further than Love Letters to provide you with something truly touching.
