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8 femmes

8 Women | 8 Frauen
Homage 2022
Photo: Jean-Claude Moireau, © 2002 Fidélité Productions, Mars Films, France 2 Cinema. All rights reserved.
A snowbound country manor, just before Christmas in the 1950s. When the man of the house is found murdered in bed, with a knife in his back, suspicion falls on the six women who live under his roof, along with his sister and a visiting daughter. Cut off from the outside world, the victim’s wife, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and daughter, along with the cook and the housemaid, try to figure out who the killer is. It turns out that each one of them had not only a motive, but also an opportunity for murder … In François Ozon’s saucy musical, Isabelle Huppert plays a surprisingly comedic role. With a lack of pretension and a touch of self-irony, she satirises the entire spectrum of neurotic female characters in this macabre comedy loaded with film references. Earmarked even in the opening credits as a prickly piece of fruit, her Mademoiselle Augustine turns out to be a thorny spitfire. Sporting a bun and glasses, squeezed into a prim suit, she plays a psychological wreck. But after revealing a rich emotional life as a chanteuse, the old maid emerges as a secret glamour girl among a pantheon of French film divas.
by François Ozon
with Danielle Darrieux, Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Emmanuelle Béart, Fanny Ardant, Virginie Ledoyen, Ludivine Sagnier, Firmine Richard France / Italy 2002 French 111’ Colour Rating R12

With

  • Danielle Darrieux
  • Catherine Deneuve
  • Isabelle Huppert
  • Emmanuelle Béart
  • Fanny Ardant
  • Virginie Ledoyen
  • Ludivine Sagnier
  • Firmine Richard

Crew

Director François Ozon
Written by François Ozon, Marina de Van based on the play by Robert Thomas
Cinematography Jeanne Lapoirie
Editing Laurence Bawedin
Music Krishna Levy
Sound Pierre Gamet
Production Design Arnaud de Moléron
Costumes Pascaline Chavanne
Producer Olivier Delbosc, Marc Missonnier

Produced by

Fidélité Productions

France 2 Cinéma

Gimages Films

Local Films

Mars International Productions

Canal Plus

CNC

Cine-Cinéma/BIM Distribuzione

Additional information

Print: Tamasa Distribution, Paris

François Ozon

© Jean-Claude Moireau

Born in Paris, France in 1967, the director and screenwriter studied at La Fémis film school and is now one of the most renowned filmmakers in his country. Peter von Kant is his fifth film to screen in the Berlinale Competition following Water Drops on Burning Rocks, which won the 2000 Teddy Award, the 2002 comedy 8 Women, whose ensemble female cast won the Silver Bear, Angel in 2007, Ricky in 2009 and the 2019 film By the Grace of God, for which he won the Grand Jury Prize. In 2012, he was a member of the Competition jury himself.

Filmography (selection)

1998 Sitcom 1999 Les amants criminels (Criminal Lovers) 2000 Gouttes d’eau sur pierres brûlantes (Water Drops on Burning Rocks) · Sous le sable (Under the Sand) 2002 8 femmes (8 Women) 2003 Swimming Pool 2004 5 x 2 2005 Le temps qui reste (Time to Leave) 2007 Angel 2009 Ricky · La refuge (The Refuge) 2010 Potiche 2012 Dans la maison (In the House) 2013 Jeune et jolie (Young & Beautiful) 2014 Une nouvelle amie (The New Girlfriend) 2016 Frantz 2017 L’amant double 2019 Grâce à Dieu (By the Grace of God) 2020 Été 85 (Summer of 85) 2021 Tout s’est bien passé (Everything Went Fine) · Peter von Kant

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2022