Tom Adjibi’s playful yet probing debut feature This Is Not a French Film blurs the boundaries between documentary, fiction and mockumentary to explore the thorny question of representation in contemporary European cinema. Presented in the NEXT:WAVE section of this year’s CPH:DOX, it is a deceptively light film that hides its thematic ambition behind humour, awkward encounters and a knowingly chaotic creative process. The result is an engaging and self-aware reflection on identity, artistic responsibility and the contradictions of the cultural industries.

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Adjibi places himself at the centre of the story as Tom, a well-meaning yet slightly naïve actor who decides to document his experience as a racialised performer in Belgium. Armed with good intentions and a small video crew that appears almost as confused as he is, Tom embarks on a series of interviews with fellow non-white actors about their experiences in the industry. What initially seems like a straightforward documentary premise soon reveals its fragility: the people Tom invites into the project begin questioning both its premise and his clumsy approach.

From the outset, the film adopts a deliberately disarming tone. Adjibi describes the project as a “comedic documentary”, and the label fits. The film thrives on moments of embarrassment and uncomfortable honesty. Tom’s persona is central to this dynamic: he is earnest, enthusiastic and frequently out of his depth, a trait that allows the film to tackle sensitive questions without becoming overly didactic.

The project evolves when Tom invites his collaborators to the south of France to collectively imagine and write their “dream film”. In theory, the retreat should foster collaboration and creativity. In practice, however, it amplifies underlying tensions. Participants hold different views on representation, authorship and the politics of storytelling, and their disagreements gradually fracture the fragile unity Tom had hoped to cultivate.

Adjibi cleverly structures the film so that the creative process itself becomes the subject. As the project unfolds, the camera captures contradictions that reveal how layered conversations about identity can be. Some interviewees criticise Tom’s methods, others challenge the assumptions behind the project, while others still appear unsure how to position themselves within the debate. Rather than smoothing out these tensions, the film allows them to surface naturally.

The film’s broader political undercurrents also emerge through unexpected gestures. At one point, for example, Tom vandalises a statue of King Leopold II in Brussels, splashing it with red paint in reference to Belgium’s colonial past in the Congo. The act feels impulsive and slightly absurd, yet it encapsulates the frustration running through the film: a sense that historical legacies continue to shape contemporary cultural debates.

Visually, Adjibi adopts a deliberately rough, spontaneous aesthetic, reinforcing the impression that the film is constructing itself as it progresses. The camerawork often feels observational and intimate, while brief interview segments provide moments of reflection within the fluid narrative.

Ultimately, This Is Not a French Film does not attempt to offer definitive answers. Instead, it embraces uncertainty, presenting a mosaic of perspectives that sometimes clash and occasionally leave the audience suspended between humour and discomfort - doing so with refreshing honesty.

This Is Not a French Film is produced by Centre Vidéo de Bruxelles (CBV-VIDEP) with France’s La Société du Sensible. Austria’s Odd Slice Films is handling international sales.