Karlovy Vary International Film Festival

July 2 - 10, 2010

Who Knows
( Va savoir )

Colour, 35mm
France, 2001, 154 min
Section: Horizons

Director: Jacques Rivette
Screenplay: Jacques Rivette, Pascal Bonitzer, Christine Laurent
Dir. of Photography: William Lubtchansky
Music: Peggy Lee
Designer: Manu de Chauvigny
Editor: Nicole Lubtchansky
Producer: Martine Marignac
Production: Pierre Grise Productions
Sales: Celluloid Dreams
Contact: Celluloid Dreams

Cast

Jeanne Balibar, Sergio Castellitto, Marianne Basler, Jacques Bonnaffé, Hélene de Fougerolles, Bruno Todeschini

Synopsis

An Italian theatre company comes to Paris to put on a production of Pirandello’s play As You Desire Me. Camille, the main character in the play and also the girlfriend of the director and manager of the company, Ugo, is the only actress of French origin. Paris is filled with old memories: three years ago she had abandoned Pierre, whose love for her at the time had threatened her ambitions as an actress. Ugo also has his secrets: his quest for the manuscript of an unpublished Goldoni play which he wants to produce has also led him to Paris. Camille meets Pierre who now lives with another woman; Ugo makes the acquaintance of Dominique, known as Do, the daughter of the heir to an impressive collection of manuscripts. Old and new passions finally flare up in a battle for life and death in which each must make clear what he really wants, while the stage itself unveils a multitude of hidden truths.

About the director

Jacques Rivette (1928, Rouen) worked for the monthly Cahiers du Cinéma and was its Editor-in-Chief from 1963-1965. He made his debut in 1956 with the short film Le coup du berger after which, thanks to his more successful friends from the “New Wave”, he made his first feature film Paris nous appartient (1960). He became famous, however, with the film La réligieuse (1965), which was banned by the French censors and screened a year later in Cannes under a different title through the mediation of the Minister of Culture André Malraux. Other films include: L’amour fou (1970), Céline et Julie vont en bateau (1974), La bande des quatre (1989), La belle noiseuse (1991), Jeanne La Pucelle (1994) and Sécret défense (1998, screened that same year in Competition of the 34th Karlovy Vary IFF).