Synopsis
As he comes back from hunting, Louis XIV feels a pain in his leg… Two weeks later, he is deeply ill and has to stay in bed at Versailles. This is the start of the painful agony of the most important king of France. Surrounded by his relatives and his closest counselors, who come in turns at his bedside, he attends only a few meetings and can barely rule his kingdom. His wife Madame de Maintenon, his son Louis XV and his doctor Fagon, dread his last breath and try to hide it to the public, to preserve the future of France.
Press
"Albert Serra's masterpiece"
James Quandt, ARTFORUM
"An hypnotizing elegy"
Manhola Dargis, THE NEW YORK TIMES
"An impressive film"
Boyd van Hoeij, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
"The most beautiful film from Cannes Festival"
Jonathan Romney, SIGHT & SOUND
"The best film presented in Cannes this year"
Isabelle Reigner, LE MONDE
"As in the films of Stroheim, the sheer intensity of what one experiences throughout is obviously attributable to some alchemical blend of writing, directing, photography, costume and set decoration, and performance"
Jonathan Rosenbaum, FILM COMMENT
Awards
Palme d’Or d’Honneur a Jean-Pierre Léaud — 69th Cannes 2016, France
Prix Jean Vigo — 2016, France
The Wilf Family Foundation Award for Best International Film – 33rd Jerusalem international Film Festival 2016, Israel
Haggiag Award for Best International feature film – 33rd Jerusalem international Film Festival 2016, Israel
Grand Prix for Jonathan Ricquebourg for Best Picture – 8th Ostrava Kamera Oko – International Cinematographers Film Festival 2016, Czech Republic
Lumiére Award for Best Actor to Jean-Piérre Léaud – Prémios Lumiére 2017,
Paris, France
Lumiére Award for Best Picture for Jonathan Ricquebourg – Lumiére Awards 2017, Paris, France
Gaudi Award for Best Film in Non Catalan Language for Albert Serra – Gaudi Awards 2017, Catalan Academy of Cinema, Barcelona, Spain
Cast and Crew
DIRECTOR Albert Serra SCRIPT Albert Serra, Thierry Lounas CAST Jean-Pierre Léaud, Patrick d’Assumçao, Marc Susini, Bernard Belin, Irène Silvagni, Vicenç Altaió, Jacques Henric, Alain Lajoinie, Olivier Cadiot, Philippe Crespeau, Gabriel Wanner, José Wallenstein, Filipe Duarte IMAGE Jonathan Ricquebourg CAMERAS Julien Hogert, Artur Tort DIRECT SOUND Jordi Ribas, Anne Dupouy EDITOR Ariadna Ribas, Artur Tort, Albert Serra DECOR Sebastian Vogler DECOR ASSISTANT Laura Poulvet WARDROBE Nina Avramovic MAKE UP Marion Vissac HAIRDRESSER Antoine Mancini SOUND EDITING Ivan Neskov, Ève Corrêa-Guedes MIX Branko Neskov SPECIAL EFFECTS Xavier Pérez, André Rosado, Alexander Akoka,Elie Akoka, Etienne Moinet Garcia, Arnaud Cachau MUSIC Marc Verdaguer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS Montsè Triola, Claire Bonnefoy PRODUCTION Thierry Lounas, Joaquim Sapinho, Albert Serra,Montsè Triola, Claire Bonnefoy
