Special Centerpiece Screening!

Positif magazine editor Michel Ciment in person!

At last year’s Cannes Film Festival, one of the most eagerly awaited events was the unveiling of Pathé's newly restored version of Children of Paradise, one of the best-loved masterworks of French cinema and our special Centerpiece at this year’s Rendez-vous. In 1830s Paris, theatrical mime Baptiste (the amazing Jean-Louis Barrault) falls in love with an actress and notorious woman about town, Garance (Arletty, enough said); when she’s falsely accused of a crime, Garance must seek the protection of one of her admirers. Yet Baptiste’s passion, once kindled, never really dies. Made in the last years of the War, Children boasted the largest set ever constructed for a French film, a tour-de-force for legendary production designer Alexander Trauner (who worked in secret due to the Occupation), plus a sparkling script from acclaimed poet and screenwriter Jacques Prévert. Carné moves the action effortlessly between stage and audience, teeming streets and intimate boudoirs, bringing the world of these characters to pulsing, vibrant life. A Janus Films release. Opening March 9 at Film Forum.