Jane Austen would be delighted in her well-mannered way to learn of all the movies based on her work. The latest, smart 21st-century version by French first-time director Laura Piani is set at Shakespeare & Company, the legendary British bookshop in Paris. There we meet a perpetually single and deeply unhappy clerk, Agathe, who escapes into romance novels, yearning for the happy ending Austen conjures up for her heroines. Piani obviously knows her Austen, and she introduces familiar tropes from her early 19th century classics while contriving a modern, feminist twist. This refreshing take focuses on finding a partner for Agathe, as well as on her quest to become a writer like Austen. In French and English.
France 2025 (94 minutes)
Dessert party at the Vogue Theatre follows immediately after screening
Sponsor: Anonymous In Honor of Mostly British Programmers