2008, dir. Bertrand Bonello
with Mathieu Amalric, Asia Argento and Guillaume Depardieu.
130 min, digital projection
French leading man Mathieu Almalric (Divingbell & the Butterfly, Quantum of Solace) stars as Bertrand, a filmmaker undergoing a midlife crisis. When Bertand loses touch with his muse and struggles to find an idea for his next picture, he accidentlly locks himself in a coffin and is forced to spend the night in an empty funeral parlor. Deciding that new experiences are what his life is missing, Bertrand finds a good source for them when a chance meeting leads him to an urban commune known as the Kingdom.
Led by Uma (Argento), the young people who make up the Kingdom often dress in animal costumes and engage in unusual consciousness-expanding rituals. Fascinated by what he's found, Bertrand becomes a frequent visitor at the Kingdom, and while his girlfriend Louise tries to encourage him in his self-exploration, she's frequently bemused by his methods.
