Bruno Dumont
The Empire
L’Empire
FR, IT, DE, BE, PT
2024, 110’, fr
Age 16+

For carefully considered reasons, the forces of light and darkness have chosen the Opal Coast in northern France as their playground. Something extraordinary has finally occurred in this otherwise ordinary fishing village – a rare child has been born; a sight so special that it transforms the dreary place into a supernatural battlefield between two galactic kingdoms. The child’s father, Jony, is the Lord of Evil, destined to face off against the attractive champion of justice, Jane. Although the spaceships have already locked their laser guns on each other, Jony finds himself unable to resist the desires of his human form. He falls madly in love with Jane and daydreams of passionate moments together…
No one expected French intellectual Dumont (known for Slack Bay (2016)) to produce Star Wars set in a seaside village, featuring Jedi fishermen on horseback duelling on the beaches with premonitions of impending doom, and yet here we are. As events unfold, a drifting Palace of Versailles hovers in space… This epic collision of science fiction and auteur cinema left such an impression on the Berlinale jury that they awarded the film the jury prize. Boldly mocking the history of French imperialism, the Napoleon syndrome, and the subtleties of Western Rome, this slapstick piece is one of this year’s boldest films. An ensemble cast of French actors – including Fabrice Luchini, Camille Cottin, Anamaria Vartolomei, and others – parodies characters like Frodo Baggins, Darth Vader, Doctor Strangelove, and other pop culture icons. In the end, you’ll be surprised to find that it all makes a surprising amount of “sense”.