Les Rayons et les Ombres
Based on true events, this masterful and gripping new drama from César-winning writer/director Xavier Giannoli (‘Lost Illusions’ see pg7) chronicles the complex ethical and moral challenges experienced by a father and daughter during France’s occupation by Germany in World War II.
Fervent pacifist journalist Luchaire (Jean Dujardin) finds an ally in young German Francophile Otto Abetz (August Diehl). Together they champion peace and rapprochement between their nations in the uneasy calm after the Great War. Meanwhile, Jean’s glamorous daughter Corinne (Nastya Golubeva) is making waves as a rising movie star, hailed as the “French Greta Garbo”. By 1940, however, the Nazi invasion of Paris forces stark choices. Jean aligns with German authorities, and through his newspaper ‘Les Nouveaux Temps’, he becomes a powerful press baron - embracing collaboration as a path to influence and survival. His trajectory intertwines with that of Otto’s, now the Reich ambassador, whose support helps cement his position inside the occupiers’ elite. Through her connection to the two, Corinne is drawn into an intoxicating yet perilous world of embassy parties, salons and propaganda cinema that both protects and endangers her. ‘Brilliantly written, as captivating as it is enlightening – so much so
that the three hours fly by.’ - Journal de Dimanche. (Subtitles)
France 2026 Xavier Giannoli 195m
