NYC Premiere
Date: Tuesday, April 22
Time: 7:00pm ET
Venue: IFC Center, 323 Sixth Ave, NYC
TRT: 94 minutes
The role of the artist in times of great upheaval is once again on our minds. When we think of Jean Cocteau, we think of his lasting masterpieces in cinema, theater, art, poetry and more. What we might not remember are the flows and ebbs of his popular appeal in his own lifetime – the latter especially painful when Cocteau’s artistic free spirit came under attack during World War II from both the right and the left.
Lisa Immordino Vreeland’s gorgeous survey of Cocteau’s work, life and views is a nearly peerless gift to all living in 2025 whose souls are nourished by art. Her exceptional collaborators are led by the actor Josh O’Connor, whose reads Cocteau’s words throughout the film, and whose perfect interpretation of Cocteau’s inner world gives vivid, fresh presence to his essence.
The screening was followed by an on-stage conversation with director/producer Lisa Immordino Vreeland and editor/producer John Northrup.