One of world cinema’s most prolific auteurs, François Ozon (Swimming Pool, In the House) returns with the moving and poetic period drama Frantz, an elegant reimagining of the story behind Ernst Lubitsch’s undersung 1932 drama Broken Lullaby.
In a small German town in 1919, Anna mourns every day at the grave of her fiancé, Frantz, who was killed in battle during World War I. One day she spies a mysterious young Frenchman, Adrien, also laying flowers at the grave. Together they begin to bond over their shared grief, though Anna is intrigued by the enigmatic nature of Adrien’s relationship with her fiancé. As the pair become increasingly close, long buried secrets are revealed that will change the fabric of their lives and take them across a wearied and battle-scarred Europe.
Shot with stunning black-and-white photography, Frantz is a masterfully told story of romance, grief and guilt featuring two remarkable lead performances from newcomers Paula Beer and Pierre Niney. At once graceful and and gripping, it is an intimate and timely exploration of healing and forgiveness across European borders.
Director
François Ozon
Cast
Pierre Niney: Adrien
Paula Beer: Anna
Ernst Stötzner: Hoffmeister
Marie Gruber: Magda
Johann von Bülow: Kreutz
Anton von Lucke: Frantz
Cyrielle Clair: Adrien's mother
Alice de Lencquesaing: Fanny
Crew
François Ozon: Director / screenwriter
Eric Altmayer: Producer
Nicolas Altmayer: Producer (Mandarin)
Stefan Arndt: Co-producer
Uwe Schott: Co-producer (X Filme)
Philippe Piazzo: Screenplay in collaboration with
Ernst Lubitsch: Loosely based on Broken Lullaby by
Pascal Marti: Director of Photography
Michel Barthelemy: Production Designer
Pascaline Chavanne: Costume Designer
Philippe Rombi: Music
Details
Production year: 2016
Loosely based on Broken Lullaby by Ernst Lubitsch
DVD catalogue number: ART826DVD
Blu-ray catalogue number: ART213BD
With the support of the Creative Europe Programme - MEDIA
Awards
Official competition, 2016 Venice Film Festival
Official selection, 2016 Toronto International Film Festival
Winner of the 2017 Cesar Award for Best Cinematography
Winner of the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor (Paula Beer), 2016 Venice Film Festival