AUGUST, 1944. ONE NIGHT TO SAVE THE MONUMENTS OF PARIS FROM DESTRUCTION.
As the Nazi occupiers prepare to follow Hitler’s orders to destroy Paris in 1944, a Swedish diplomat (Raoul Dussolier) tries desperately to reason with the general (Niels Arestrup) in charge. The director dedicated this adaptation of the WWII play to his friend, the seasoned diplomat Richard Holbrooke who died in 2010. The story imagines what the negotiations might have looked like between Nordling and von Choltitz on a very fateful night. They’re working against the clock; together with the two leads, Volker Schlöndorff brings out a low-key intensity. Ultimately a love letter to Paris.
2014-France-Germany. 84 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Volker Schlöndorff. Screenplay: Cyril Gely, Volker Schlöndorff. Play: Cyril Gely. Cast: André Dussollier (Raoul Nordling), Niels Arestrup (Dietrich von Choltitz), Burghart Klaussner (Werner Ebernach), Robert Stadlober.
Trivia: Original title: Diplomatie.
