A man flees to Florence to escape his crumbling marriage—and finds himself even more lost among Renaissance ghosts.
Emmanuel, 37, lives in Paris with his wife, Irene, and his daughter Anne, 14 years old. He accidentally discovers that Irene is receiving mail in the remaining mail. She refuses to follow Emmanuel to Italy where he has to write a biography of Filippo Lippi. Distraught, Emmanuel decided to leave immediately for Florence.
Cinematography
Florence's golden light vs. Paris's gray claustrophobia.
Acting
Mireille Perrier's mysterious Judith—presence without explanation.
Director
Alain Bergala
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Alain Bergala was better known as a film critic for Cahiers du Cinéma; this was his second and final feature.
The title comes from a French poem about presence and absence—fitting for a film where characters occupy the same space without connecting.
FR
