Pialat is often considered Cassavetes’ brother in arms for envisioning dramatic cinema as founded in the irascible, unpredictable turmoil of life. A painter himself, this is an impressionistic, textured yet austere work—many films have been made about the genius of Van Gogh, but none better this.
Pialat won a hotly contested Palme d’Or at Cannes (an episode that gives title to this retrospective) for this extraordinary drama of spirituality in a cold world. By turns calm and violent, it’s left an indelible mark ever since its premiere. A controversial masterwork by a controversial genius.
Our focus on arguably the best French filmmaker to emerge after the New Wave continues, and how. By now we know Pialat is an observant storyteller with a sharply acidic view of human nature, but his take on the police thriller is a sight to behold, veering into dangerous, disorienting territory.
Introducing one of French cinema’s great actresses: Sandrine Bonnaire. If you don’t know Sandrine, she made her capriciously charming debut in Maurice Pialat’s vividly emotional, unforgettable teenage drama. If you know her, then you love her, and this is one of your favourite films—as it is ours.
Arguably peak Pialat, the film’s dynamite pairing of Isabelle Huppert & Gerard Depardieu — juxtapositioning her cerebral stare and his physical presence — sets up this austere portrait of youth, a taboo two-hander with a constant class consciousness.
The rebellious spirit of Pialat’s œuvre finds a particular poignancy in his young characters—like the teens in Graduate First, who seem to be engulfed by indifference, in denial of the gloomy future ahead of them. This is an unassuming yet definitive generational portrait of outstanding veracity.
We continue our retrospective on brilliant misanthrope auteur Maurice Pialat with his third film, where he dissects human selfishness and vulnerability with a surgeon’s precision. An unwavering exploration of agony and death that is very much alive and boasts an unexpected undercurrent of vitality.
We’re immensely proud to present I Don’t Like You Either, a close-up on Pialat’s work and a celebration of his uncompromising vision. His volatile dramas of prickly, tumultuous emotions are utterly unique, like this portrait of an on-again, off-again affair—a shrewd challenge, powerfully rewarding.