Pacifiction

A film by Albert Serra
Cahiers du Cinéma No. 1 Film of the Year 2022

“A gorgeous new movie. Stunning. Seductive. A filmmaker who’s thrillingly alive to the world he’s showing us.” – Justin Chang, LA Times

On the French Polynesian island of Tahiti, the High Commissioner of the Republic and French government official De Roller (Benoît Magimel) is a calculating man with flawless manners. His somewhat broad perception of his role brings him to navigate the high end ’establishment’ as well as shady venues where he mingles with the locals. Especially since a persistent rumor has been going around: the sighting of a submarine whose ghostly presence could herald the return of French nuclear testing.

Director / Writer: Albert Serrra. Director of Photography: Artur Tort. With Benoît Magimel, Pahoa Mahagafanau, Marc Susini, Matahi Pambrun, Alexandre Melo AND Sergi Lopez!

• Winner, 2022 Louis Delluc Prize
• Winner, 2023 César Awards: Best Actor (Benoît Magimel); Best Cinematography

“Suggests John le Carré by way of David Lynch — a feverish and haunting but also wry and meditative rumination on power, secrecy and the color of clouds over water at sunset.”— A.O. Scott, NY Times

“One of the ten best films of 2022! A paranoid thriller about colonialist hubris in Tahiti.”— James Quandt, Artforum

“One of the most beautiful and rigorously introspective movies of this or any year, a film that makes you deeply ponder the fate of humanity itself.”— Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire

“Strangely captivating… a truly original cinematic experience.” — Lee Marshall, Screen Daily

“One of [Serra’s] most accomplished and mature films to date.” — David Jenkins, Little White Lies

“A film unlike any other this year… Serra’s vision ultimately is as beguiling as it is boundless, and strangely romantic.” — Rory O’Connor, The Film Stage