Le Grand Bivouac

Le Grand Bivouac: Understanding the World Through Travel and Documentary

Since 2002, Le Grand Bivouac in Albertville has established itself as one of the major events for documentary film and travel narratives in France. This unique festival intimately blends documentary cinema, travel literature, photography, encounters, and debates to offer the public an open window onto the world and its contemporary issues.

A Multi-faceted Festival

The richness of Le Grand Bivouac lies in the diversity of its program. Centered around an annual theme, the festival organizes about a hundred screenings with Q&As where directors, travelers, explorers, and personalities share their experiences and perspectives on the world. These sessions, followed by public debates, form the beating heart of the festival.

The book fair, featuring around twenty publishers and over 4,000 titles, makes Le Grand Bivouac a leading destination for literary discovery. Encounters with authors, signing sessions, and readings enrich this literary component.

Often spectacular photographic exhibitions, concerts, creative workshops, and a festival village bringing together artisans, associations, and partners complete a rich program that invites the public to immerse themselves in the world of travel and discovery.

A Commitment to Understanding the World

Le Grand Bivouac upholds a demanding vision of travel. Far from mass tourism, the festival champions meaningful travel that questions our relationship with the world, other cultures, and the environment. The festival's major debates address essential themes: climate change, migration, biodiversity, intercultural encounters, sustainable development.

This humanistic and engaged approach makes Le Grand Bivouac a space for civic reflection as well as a cultural festival, a place where entertainment and knowledge mutually nourish each other.

Albertville, A Land of Encounters

Located at the crossroads of the Savoyard valleys, Albertville offers an ideal setting for a festival focused on exploration and mountains. The city, which hosted the 1992 Winter Olympics, perpetuates its openness to the world through Le Grand Bivouac, which has become one of its flagship cultural events.