Frantz

Director: François Ozon
Screenwriters: François Ozon, Philippe Piazzo

Institute History

  • 2017 Sundance Film Festival

Description

Following its premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, Frantz has received acclaim at festivals worldwide. Esteemed French filmmaker Francois Ozon makes his Sundance Film Festival debut with this singular title.

Following World War I, Anna quietly mourns the death of her German soldier fiancé, Frantz. Her grief is ruptured when she witnesses a stranger, Adrien, laying flowers at her beloved’s grave. Desperate for a connection to Frantz, Anna casts aside her animosity toward Adrien’s French origins and envelops him into her life. She basks in the stories he unfolds of Frantz, and their friendship in Paris before the war. But when the true nature of his bond with Frantz is revealed, Adrien flees Germany, sending Anna on a journey to Paris after him.

Based loosely on Ernst Lubitsch’s 1932 film Broken Lullaby, Frantz is a profound look at the emotional devastation left in the tracks of war and the mechanisms humans grasp at while attempting to cope. Aided by a stunning performance from newcomer Paula Beer, Frantz resonates far beyond the confines of love and war.

— Toby Brooks

Screening Details

As you use our Online Archives, please understand that the information presented from Festivals, Labs, and other activities is taken directly from official publications from each year. While this information is limited and doesn't necessarily represent the full list of participants (e.g. actors and crew), it is the list given to us by the main film/play/project contact at the time, based on the space restrictions of our publications. Each entry in the Online Archives is meant as a historical record of a particular film, play, or project at the time of its involvement with Sundance Institute. For this reason, we can only amend an entry if a name is misspelled, or if the entry does not correctly reflect the original publication. If you have questions or comments, please email [email protected]