Les Passagers de la nuit

Beginning with archival footage of the celebrations following the election of François Mitterand in 1981 and ending shortly after his second election in 1988, Mikhäel Hers’ THE PASSANGERS OF THE NIGHT might initially be mistaken for a political film. But this is a story of personal freedom, the family as an evolving unit and the city of Paris as an expansive canvas on which to paint one’s life. Struggling to find her footing after her husband leaves her, Elisabeth gets a job as the call screener for a late night radio show whose host, Vanda, takes the younger woman under her wing.
In the midst of this life transition, Elisabeth meets Talulah, an 18- year-old girl living on the street. She makes the impulsive decision to let Talulah stay with her family, and the newcomer has a profound impact on both Elisabeth and her teenage son Mathias. The film’s title refers to the late-night listeners of Vanda’s show, a largely anonymous league of outcasts and insomniacs, and it is alongside these figures that Hers locates the romantic soul of urban France. A spiritual heir to Philippe Garrel and Léos Carax, Hers has arrived as a major cinematic voice. (Michael Sicinski)

On Sunday, 30.10. our main sponsor, Erste Bank, invites you to a matinee with free admission.
ISSUANCE OF THE TICKETS FOR THE ERSTE BANK ExtraVALUE-Matinee
The free tickets (max. 2 per person) are available at the Viennale advance booking offices, in the festival cinemas and via the Erste Bank ExtraVALUE lottery: sponsoring.erstebank.at

Mikhaël Hers: CHARELL (2006), PRIMROSE HILL (2007), MONTPARNASSE (2009), MEMORY LANE (2010), CE SENTIMENT DE L’ÉTÉ (2015), MEIN LEBEN MIT AMANDA (2018)