Albertine Cinémathèque Film Festival
Directed by Bertrand Bonello
With Léa Seydoux, George MacKay, Guslagie Malanda
Not Rated, 146 minutes, DCP
In English and French with English subtitles
The year is 2044: artificial intelligence controls all facets of a stoic society as humans routinely "erase" their feelings. Hoping to eliminate pain caused by their past-life romances, Gabrielle (Léa Seydoux) continually falls in love with different incarnations of Louis (George MacKay). Set first in Belle Époque-era Paris, Louis is a British man who woos her away from a cold husband, then in early 21st Century Los Angeles, he is a disturbed American bent on delivering violent "retribution." Will the process allow Gabrielle to fully connect with Louis in the present, or are the two doomed to repeat their previous fates? Visually audacious director Bertrand Bonello (Saint Laurent, Nocturama) fashions his most accomplished film to date: a sci-fi epic, inspired by Henry James' turn- of-the-century novella, The Beast in the Jungle, suffused with mounting dread and a haunting sense of mystery. Punctuated by a career-defining, three-role performance by Seydoux, The Beast poignantly conveys humanity's struggle against dissociative identity and emotionless existence.
This film festival is presented in part by the Albertine Cinémathèque 2025-2026 Film Festival season. Albertine Cinémathèque is part of the French For All initiative by Villa Albertine, The French Institute for Culture and Education, and Albertine Foundation, and is made possible with the support from the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'Image Animée (CNC).
*This is a free but ticketed event. To guarantee your seat, please pick up your tickets at least 15 minutes prior to the show, at which point your unclaimed tickets may be used to seat patrons waiting on standby. Tickets will be available for pick-up at the Ticket Office beginning one hour prior to the performance.