On August 5, one of the most important films in the history of cinema – “Breathless” by Jean-Luc Godard, a crime drama with Jean-Paul Belmondo, will be released in Minsk. The film represents itself a 4K restoration prepared for last year’s 60th anniversary of the film. All screenings will be held in French with Russian subtitles.

The plot “Breathless” is based on a newspaper article about a real crime committed in 1952. Michel Poiccard, a petty rogue and Humphrey Bogart fan, steals a car and kills the pursuing police officer. Back in Paris, he renews his relationship with Patricia, an American student journalist who is fascinated by his recklessness and arrogance. They spend their days stealing cars, making love and talking about everything. Their goal is to save money and escape to Italy. But the police are attacking Michel’s trail …

“Breathless” is Jean-Luc Godard’s full-length debut, which became the manifesto of the French new wave and one of the key works of cinema. Godard literally rewrote the rules of cinema through ragged editing, breaking the “fourth wall”, allusions to noir and numerous cultural references and quotes. In addition, the director composed some scenes just before the start of the shooting day, allowing the actors to actively improvise.

And yet, the film is not just a textbook on an innovative film language, but an inspiring hymn to life, youth and freedom. The hand-held camera of the legendary cameraman Raoul Coutard perfectly captures the atmosphere of Parisian streets and apartments, where a story of love and betrayal is developing rapidly. The main roles were played by Jean-Paul Belmondo, to whom the film brought worldwide fame, and Jean Seberg, one of the icons of the new wave, and François Truffaut and Claude Chabrol worked on the script.

Although Belmondo and Seeberg did not believe in the film’s success, it was fast-paced and colossal. “Breathless” was hugely popular with audiences, critics wrote odes to him, and Godard won the Silver Bear Award for Best Director at the 1960 Berlin Film Festival. Since then, the film has consistently been included in various lists of the best, is one of the cornerstones of film education and remains the most influential cultural phenomenon in general.

The new 4K copy was created in 2020 with great respect for the creative intention of the creators and is designed to give modern viewers the opportunity to enjoy Godard’s masterpiece in a format and quality as close as possible to the original.

Film screenings in Belarus are organized by Visual and Performing Arts Centre “ART Corporation”.

We advise you to take precautions to make going to the movies not only pleasant but also safe: please wear masks and use other protective means.

Read news about this and other film projects of “ART Corporation” on the site artcorporation.by, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, VK.