Lumière d'été

Restored by the Cinémathèque Française and SNC (Group M6)!

We’re delighted to be able to include this marvelous new restoration of Jean Gremillon’s masterpiece, courtesy of our friends at the Cinematheque Française. Made during the German occupation, Lumiere d’ete is a highly allegorical work set in a remote glass castle. The script, by Jacques Prévert and Pierre Laroche, tells the story of Cricri (Madeline Renaud, Gremillon’s favorite actress), a young woman trapped in a relationship with the decadent Patrice (Paul Bernard). Patrice decides to organize a weekend in the country for a select group of friends, mainly because he’s hoping to seduce Michèle (Madeline Robinson), the companion of the artist Roland; meanwhile, Cricri becomes attracted to Julien (George Marchal). Often compared to Renoir’s Rules of the Game for its provocative portrayal of class conflict and blatant theatricality, Lumiere d’ete was banned by the Vichy government and only released after the liberation.