THE BLISSFULL

(Les Enchantés)

TELEVISION COMPETITION
MELVILLE THEATRE
Drama

THURSDAY OCTOBER 31
1:10 pm (Screening ends at 2:40 pm)
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 1
9:00 am (Screening ends at 10:30 am)
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 2
10:10 pm
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 3
1:15 pm (Screening ends at 2:45 pm)

Presented in association with:
Film & Picture
TITRAFILM

Directed by: Stanislas Carré de Malberg
Written by: Stanislas Carré de Malberg, Raphaële Moussafir
Based on the Book by: Jeanne Benameur
Produced by: Pierre Garnier, Carine Boyé (Les Films de l’instant), Arte
Cinematography: Quentin de Lamarzelle
Film Editing: Francis Vesin
Original Score: Robin Coudert
Cast: Grégory Montel (Thierry), Daphné Richard (Luce Jouvet), Lula Cotton-Frapier (Solange), François Chattot (Claude Lelièvre), Tassadit Mandi (Mina), Antoine Gouy (Mr Boniface), Guilaine Londez (Judge Bloch), Nicolas Simon (Marc Vannier)
International Sales: Film & Picture
Original Broadcast: Arte (November 10, 2023)

Loosely adapted from the novel Les Demeurées by Jeanne Benameur, and presented as a kind of naturalistic fable, The Blissful recounts the moving tale of Thierry, a man who has been mentally handicapped since birth, and is raising his six-year-old daughter, Luce, alone. While bound in an unwavering cocoon of reciprocal adoration, they clearly live in a bubble… which begins to burst the moment Luce starts school. Becoming acutely aware of her father’s handicap, as well as her own thirst for knowledge, Luce is caught in a crisis of loyalty. Will expanding her own inquisitive, lively mind, distance her from her beloved father? Grégory Montel (Call My Agent!) and Daphné Richard deliver beautifully nuanced, equally stunning performances, as father and daughter in this delicate modern-day fairy tale. Albeit one with no easy answers.

At the age of 17, Stanislas Carré de Malberg began his career as an actor in Louis Malle’s Au Revoir les Enfants (1987). He has appeared in several films and television productions, including Claude Sautet’s A Heart in Winter (1992) and James Ivory’s Jefferson in Paris (1993). He turned to screenwriting in 2001 and has written scripts for numerous TV series, including 51 episodes of Paris 16ème (2009), 5 episodes of R.I.S. Police scientifique (2007-2011) and 10 episodes of La Bousse (2017), which he also directed. His feature screenwriting credits consist of The Bélier Family (2014), which was nominated for 5 César Awards, including Best Original Screenplay; it’s American remake CODA (2021), which won 3 Oscars, including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture; and Friendzone (2021). The Blissful is his first directorial effort of a feature-length TV movie.