Set in Germany and France in the immediate aftermath of the First World War, (1914-1918), FRANTZ recalls the mourning period that follows great national tragedies as seen through the eyes of the war's "lost generation": Anna (21 year-old Paula Beer in a breakthrough performance), a bereft young German woman whose fiancé, Frantz, was killed during trench warfare, and Adrien (Pierre Niney, Yves Saint Laurent), a French veteran of the war who shows up mysteriously in her town, placing flowers on Frantz's grave. Adrien's presence is met with resistance by the small community still reeling from Germany's defeat, yet Anna gradually gets closer to the handsome and melancholy young man, as she learns of his deep friendship with Frantz, conjured up in evocative flashbacks. What follows is a surprising exploration of how Ozon's characters' wrestle with their conflicting feelings - survivor's guilt, anger at one's losses, the overriding desire for happiness despite everything that has come before, and the longing for sexual, romantic and familial attachments. Ozon drew his inspiration from Ernst Lubitsch's 1932 drama BROKEN LULLABY, with stunning visual references to painter Caspar David Friedrich.

"Frantz finds writer-director François Ozon thoughtfully probing the aftermath of World War I through the memories and relationships of loved ones left behind." (Rotten Tomatoes)

"Using this moment in history, Ozon has made a quietly powerful film whose ultimate message is one of rebirth. The final shot will leave you breathless." (Austin Chronicle)

"French filmmaker Francois Ozon reminds us of the adage, "the first casualty of war is truth." He does so in a way that beguiles but also bedevils." (Washington Post)

Friday, April 21
Doors 7:45 pm | Movie 8:15 pm

Advance tickets $10 | $12 at the door

*Minors welcome! Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service and main floor seating.
**Groupons and passes OK! Please redeem at the door.

FRANTZ (François Ozon, 2016 / 113 mins / PG / English subtitles) In the aftermath of WWI, a young German who grieves the death of her fiancé in France meets a mysterious French man who visits the fiance’s grave to lay flowers.