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Rialto Cinemas Dunedin

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The Count of Monte Cristo

Drama, Action M178 minutes French with English Subtitles

- OFFICIAL SELECTION: Festival de Cannes (Out of Competition) -

- 2x César Award Winner! -

Pierre Niney leads a stellar cast in Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière’s thrilling new adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ epic adventure The Count of Monte Cristo, the first French cinematic treatment of the iconic tale of romance and redemption in over fifty years.

Marseille, 1815. The dreams of principled young sailor Edmond Dantès (Niney) are about to come true; promoted to ship’s captain, he can finally marry the love of his life, Mercédès (Anaïs Demoustier). But his success inspires jealousy… betrayed by his rivals, Dantès is denounced as a member of a pro-Napoleon conspiracy, and incarcerated without trial in an isolated prison.

After years of solitude, Dantès befriends the inmate in the adjacent cell, Abbé Faria (Pierfrancesco Favino), who reveals the location of a hidden treasure on the island of Monte Cristo. An extraordinary plan is hatched to exact revenge on the three men who wronged him: assuming multiple identities – “the Count of Monte Cristo” among them - Dantès will first court his enemies, and then seek retribution…

true cultural phenomenon in France (where it stormed the box office with close to 10 million tickets sold), The Count of Monte Cristo delivers luxurious, spectacular big-screen entertainment, at once timeless and electrifyingly new.

Directed by: Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière

Starring: Pierre Niney, Anaïs Demoustier, Pierfrancesco Favino

 

Screenings

25th June | 7.15pm Book

The Divine Sarah Bernhardt

Biography, Historical M98 minutes French with English Subtitles

Experience the magnificent life of French actress Sarah Bernhardt, the first international star and an eternal icon, in all its dramatic glory - just as “La Divine” herself intended!

Set in the dizzying theatrical world of stage lights, opulent wealth and delicious scandals, Bernhardt is expertly brought to life by Sandrine Kiberlain (November) in this decadent biopic from director Guillaume Nicloux.

Shot amidst lavish and beautiful production design, but always focused on its protagonist, Nicloux’s decadent biopic is an experience like no other.

Crossing paths with Alexandre Dumas, Sigmund Freud, Victor Hugo and more, Bernhardt’s fascinating story is told across three distinct time periods (1915, 1896 and 1886).

Uncover the life of the world’s first celebrity in this vivid and compelling chronicle of a chameleonic actress who defined her generation.

Directed by: Guillaume Nicloux

Starring: Sandrine Kiberlain, Laurent Lafitte, Amira Casar, Pauline Étienne

Screenings

Three Friends

Drama, Romance PG118 minutes French with English Subtitles

Emmanuel Mouret, the award-winning director of Love Affair(s), returns to contemporary stories of love, loss, and entanglement with effortless style.

Three Friends follows Alice (Camille Cottin, Call My Agent!), Rebecca (Sara Forestier), and Joan (India Hair, Annie’s Fire), all going through major relationship crises at the same time.

Joan has fallen out of love with her husband Victor, and while Alice tries to reassure her, her own relationship has plateaued. Meanwhile Rebecca is in the thick of an affair... that happens to be with Alice’s husband Eric.

When Joan decides to end her marriage, Victor suddenly goes missing. Joan, Alice and Rebecca begin to find their charades unravelling. How much longer can the truth stay hidden?

Three friends, three lies, three truths. Weaving between funny and poignant, Three friends is a compelling story you won’t want to miss!

Directed by: Emmanuel Mouret

Starring: Camille Cottin, Sara Forestier, India Hair, Damien Bonnard

Screenings

25th June | 4.45pm Book

Miss Violet

Drama, Historical M108 minutes French with English Subtitles

From Éric Besnard (director of the previous Festival hits Delicious and A Great Friend), this historical drama offers an intimate look at rural life in the beautiful Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

In 1889, Parisian teacher Louise Violet (Alexandra Lamy), is sent to a small village to impose the free, compulsory and secular schooling of the French Republic.

Miss Violet is met with a hostile reception from the locals and their stern mayor Pierre Lecomte (Grégory Gadebois), fearful of change and apprehensive of anything that might distract their children from farm work. If Louise is to win the villagers over, she’ll have to speak their language... As tensions rise, confronting the villagers also means confronting herself. Louise may be the teacher, but maybe the village has something to teach her...

With rich period costuming and breathtaking vistas on display, Miss Violet is a compelling exploration of how tradition and progress can collide. A must-see for anyone who believes in the transformative power of education.

Directed by: Éric Besnard

Starring: Alexandra Lamy, Grégory Gadebois, Jérôme Kircher, Jérémy Lopez

Screenings

25th June | 2.30pm Book

Saint-Ex

Biography, Adventure, Drama M98 minutes French with English Subtitles

In 1930, the free-spirited Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (Louis Garrel, The Innocent) is a pilot for the French airmail service, flying alongside legendary aviator Henri Guillaumet (Vincent Cassel, La Haine). During one fateful journey, Guillaumet vanishes in the Andes. With the help of Guillaumet’s wife, Noëlle (Diane Kruger, Inglourious Basterds), and driven by hope and unwavering determination, Saint-Exupéry embarks on a perilous quest to find his lost friend. Along the way, he discovers that his incredible imagination might be his greatest strength. The true story of the author behind the French classic The Little Prince.

Directed by: Pablo Agüero

Starring: Louis Garrel, Vincent Cassel, Diane Kruger

Screenings

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