The third of Rohmer’s Six Moral Tales and his most commercially successful film, My Night With Maud is set at Christmas in Clermont-Ferrand (birthplace of mathematician-philosopher Blaise Pascal). Jean-Louis, recently moved there, becomes fixated on Françoise, whom he first sees at Mass, determining that she will be his wife. A chance meeting with a university pal leads to dinner on Christmas Eve at beautiful Maud’s. The evening is filled with talk of marriage, morales, religion and of Pascal’s Wager. Through long but rigorous dialogue, director Rohmer poses questions of fidelity and freedom. Shot in revealing black and white, the characters talk while the image speaks otherwise. (Notes by Marie-Pierre Richard)

This is screening as part of IFI Festive Favourites, our season of family favourites and classics in December.