Synopsis
Versailles, August 1715. Back from hunting, Louis XIV - magisterially interpreted by New Wave icon and honorary Palme d’Or recipient (Jean-Pierre Léaud) - feels pain in his leg. A serious fever erupts, which marks the beginning of the agony of the greatest King of France. Surrounded by a horde of doctors and his closest counselors who come in turns at his bedside sensing the impending power vacuum, the Sun King struggles to run the country from his bed.
Based on extensive medical records and the memoirs of the Duke of Saint-Simon and other courtiers, The Death of Louis XIV is a wry neoclassical chamber drama, a work of pure magic by Albert Serra, one of today’s most singular directors.
Reviews
"A mesmerizing elegy."
– Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
"The most beautiful film at Cannes 2016."
– Jonathan Romney, Sight and Sound
"An instant classic."
– Filmmaker Magazine
"Serra has crafted a ravishing, darkly witty evocation of 18th-century aristocracy and a neoclassical period piece as reminiscent of the historical films of Visconti and Rossellini as the modernist literary adaptations of Rohmer and Oliveira."
– Jordan Cronk, Film Comment
Press Materials
High-Res Stills, Poster and Press Kit
Press Release
Where to watch
Playdates
Mar 5: Gene Siskel Film Center - Chicago, IL
Mar 31-Apr 13: Film Society of Lincoln Center - New York, NY
Mar 31-Apr 13: Film Society of Lincoln Center - New York, NY
Apr 6, 8 & 12: San Francisco International Film Festival - San Francisco, CA
Apr 8 & 9: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston - Houston, TX
Apr 13: Honolulu Museum of Art, Cinémathèque Française 2017 - Honolulu, HI
Apr 21-27: New Orleans French Film Festival - New Orleans, LA
Apr 26: The Loft Cinema - Tucson, AZ
Apr 28: Miami Beach Cinematheque - Miami Beach, FL
Apr 28-30: Oklahoma City Museum of Art - Oklahoma City, OK
Apr 29-30: Cleveland Cinematheque - Cleveland, OH
Apr 8 & 9: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston - Houston, TX
Apr 13: Honolulu Museum of Art, Cinémathèque Française 2017 - Honolulu, HI
Apr 21-27: New Orleans French Film Festival - New Orleans, LA
Apr 26: The Loft Cinema - Tucson, AZ
Apr 28: Miami Beach Cinematheque - Miami Beach, FL
Apr 28-30: Oklahoma City Museum of Art - Oklahoma City, OK
Apr 29-30: Cleveland Cinematheque - Cleveland, OH
Festivals & Awards
Official Selection - Cannes Film Festival Official Selection - New York Film Festival
Official Selection - Toronto International Film Festival
Official Selection - Rotterdam
Official Selection - BFI London Film Festival
Official Selection - Viennale