Considered one of Duras’s best, and based on a play Le Vice-Consul, it draws on her childhood experiences in French-occupied Indochina. Set in Calcutta in the 1930s, Delphine Seyrig plays Anne-Marie Stretter, whose ambassador husband turns a blind eye to her many affairs. An unexpected guest arrives at a party held at the French Embassy… To a haunting soundtrack by Carlos d’Alessio and the distant voices of the many characters who punctuate the narrative, Seyrig brings complex sensitivity to a despairing woman who has become an object of desire.

The screening will be introduced by Marie-Pierre Richard, Programme Curator, IFI French Film Festival.

Notes by Marie-Pierre Richard.

Screening as part of the Marguerite Duras retrospective as part of this year’s IFI French Film Festival!