The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) will present a career retrospective on Jacques Audiard, a celebrated French filmmaker and screenwriter known for his emotionally intense and stylistically distinctive films.
The retrospective will take place Jan. 10-17 at the new SBIFF Film Center and will feature:
• “Emilia Pérez”
• “The Beat That My Heart Skipped”
• “Rust and Bone”
• “A Prophet”
• “Paris, 13th District”
• “Dheepan”
• “The Sisters Brothers”
The Jacques Audiard in-person conversation on Friday, Jan. 10 at the SBIFF Riviera Theatre will follow a screening of “Emilia Pérez.”
Audiard made his directorial debut with “Regarde les Hommes Tomber,” which won a César Award for Best First Feature Film. He gained international acclaim with works like “The Beat That My Heart Skipped;” “A Prophet,” which won the Grand Prix at Cannes; and “Dheepan,” which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes.
Audiard’s films often explore themes of identity, redemption, and human resilience, blending gritty realism with poetic sensibilities. Audiard remains one of the most influential figures in contemporary French cinema.
“Audiard is a master of cinema, combining genres in order to tell his complex yet compelling stories which always draw attention to important and urgent subjects like immigration and the disenfranchised,” said Roger Durling, executive director of SBIFF.
“As a filmmaker, he is generous, challenging, and humane, and he exemplifies the best of world cinema. He is cinema,” Durling said.
Audiard’s latest film “Emilia Pérez” is another triumph. The film follows the story of Emilia Pérez, a notorious Mexican cartel leader, who undergoes gender affirming surgery to start living life as her most authentic self.
Blending elements of crime, music, and comedy, the film has a bold and unconventional narrative. Starring Karla Sofia Gascón, alongside Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldaña, “Emilia Pérez” marks a significant departure from Audiard’s previous works, showcasing his versatility and willingness to explore new genres, SBIFF said.
Mixing humor, suspense and music, the film is lauded as an innovative addition to Audiard’s diverse filmography.
Among his celebrated works, “The Beat That My Heart Skipped” — a drama about a man torn between violence and his dream of becoming a pianist — won eight César Awards, including Best Film and Best Director.
“A Prophet,” chronicling the rise of a young Arab man in a brutal French prison, earned the Grand Prix at Cannes, nine César Awards, and an Oscar nomination.
“Dheepan,” a poignant tale of Sri Lankan refugees seeking asylum in France, won the Palme d’Or at Cannes.
For tickets and the retrospective schedule, visit here.