North American Premiere
This erotically charged drama set in the Swiss Alps stars the utterly captivating Jeanne Balibar (Memoria) as a mature single woman seeking companionship through intimate encounters with men staying at a remote mountain chalet. In a game of seduction well known to the staff, she zeroes in on a gentleman of interest and engages in guarded but pointed small talk in her pursuit of pleasure behind closed doors. She then re-buttons her dress and returns to caring for her disabled son. Until one day she picks someone who plans to stick around.
Maxime Rappaz makes a stunning feature debut reminiscent of the polished works of Tom Ford and Paul Thomas Anderson with this modern take on a classic love story that explores desire at an age rarely depicted on screen. Transitioning from a career in fashion, his background lends itself naturally to a portrait of an enigmatic, meticulously put-together dame full of fiery yearning, while Balibar adds a touch of charm and elegance that will never go out of style.
Presented by
Supported by
Community Partner
Jeanne Balibar, Thomas Sarbacher, Pierre-Antoine Dubey, Véronique Mermoud, Adrien Savigny
Switzerland/France/Belgium
2023
Vanguard
In French with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits
Producer
Gabriela Bussmann, Yan Decoppet,Camile Genaud
Screenwriter
Maxime Rappaz, Marion Vernoux, Florence Seyvos
Cinematography
Benoit Dervaux
Editor
Caroline Detournay
Production Design
Ivan Niclass, Rekha Musale
Original Music
Antoine Bodson
Director
Maxime Rappaz
Born in 1986 in Geneva, Maxime Rappaz worked in the fashion world before turning to cinema. In 2016, he obtained a master’s degree in cinema and screenwriting, he then directed the short film L’été tendresse. His first feature film Laissez-Moi, starring Jeanne Balibar, will be released in 2023. Maxime Rappaz is currently writing his second feature film.
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Agatha's Almanac
Shot over six years on vibrant 16mm film, Agatha’s Almanac is an artful documentary portrait of filmmaker Amalie Atkin’s octogenarian aunt, who has fashioned herself an endearingly simple and self-sustaining lifestyle on her Manitoba farm.
Modern Whore
In director Nicole Bazuin's cheeky, stylized documentary, Modern Whore-memoirist Andrea Werhun (Paying for It) recounts her experiences as an escort and stripper in Toronto, debunking misconceptions about the world’s oldest profession.
The Art of Adventure
The unbelievable adventure story of how painter Robert Bateman and ecologist Bristol Foster drove a Land Rover from Africa to Australia in 1957, developing a love of nature to last a lifetime. An inspirational love letter to the adventure of life itself.
4 or 5 Things I Want You to Know About Me (An Essay)
Carl Bessai's playful Godardian riff on actors and acting gives us a portfolio of dramatic portraits and monologues focused on half a dozen female performers at different points in their journey. It's a grab-bag of a film, sparky and specific.
