The Double Life of Véronique (1991)

Krzysztof Kieślowski's international breakthrough remains one of his most beloved films, a ravishing, mysterious rumination on identity, love, and human intuition. Irène Jacob is incandescent as both Weronika, a Polish choir soprano, and her double, Véronique, a French music teacher. Though unknown to each other, the two women share an enigmatic, emotional bond, which Kieślowski details in gorgeous reflections, colors, and movements. Aided by Slawomir Idziak's shimmering cinematography and Zbigniew Preisner's haunting, operatic score, Kieślowski creates one of cinema's most purely metaphysical works. The Double Life of Véronique is an unforgettable symphony of feeling.

Produced between the colossal Dekalog (1989) and the Three Colours trilogy (1993-4), The Double Life of Véronique is too often overlooked in favor of its era-defining bookends, but it is every bit their equal. A picture of rare beauty, both visually and philosophically, recognizably the work of a true master operating at the peak of his abilities.

The Double Life of Véronique was Kieślowski's first film to be produced partly outside his native Poland. It won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury and the FIPRESCI Prize at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival, as well as the Best Actress Award for Jacob, who would go on to work with Kieślowski again on Three Colours: Red (1994), the final installment of Kieślowski’s trilogy examining the French Revolutionary ideals of liberté, égalité, fraternité, as well as his final film before dying unexpectedly during heart surgery in 1996, shortly after retiring from filmmaking. He is remembered as one of the greatest directors of all time, and The Double Life of Véronique is rightly considered among his best work.

Spoken Language: French and polish

Subtitles: English

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