Der 32. August auf Erden

What does life mean in the face of death? Denis Villeneuve poses big questions in his playful feature film debut. Between existentialism and absurd humour, he also inserts images that call for the big screen and are a foretaste of the visual power of his later films.

Individual seconds have the potential to turn an entire life upside down. Particularly when they are spent in a fast-moving car with eyes closed. Simone (Pascale Bussieres) decides to make a fresh start after her near-death experience in a car accident. She gives up her modelling job and rekindles an old pact with her best friend Philippe (Alexis Martin). Back then, they agreed to have a child if they were still single at 30. Only Simone is not yet 30 and Philippe is not single...

Denis Villeneuve is not necessarily a name associated with the Nouvelle Vague. Yet his feature film debut from 1998 is a deep bow to the French wave in general and to Jeanne Moreau in particular. Jump cuts and an unleashed camera, which repeatedly draws attention to itself through rapid movements, testify to Villeneuve's love of cinematic form and European art cinema. The breathtaking shots in the US salt flats in turn testify to his deep understanding of overwhelming and sophisticated bombastic cinema.