Pacifiction

A submarine is sighted, men from the navy are seen, and memories make themselves known as the wake of colonialism comes to the fore in paradisical French Polynesia.

Stationed in Tahiti, France’s ambassador De Roller (a phenomenal Benoît Magimel) navigates between dance clubs and formal meetings, mingles with the local population as well as the establishment. But as rumors of resumed French nuclear arms tests spread, he slowly begins to suspect that something is not right, worried about being deceived by the state he represents. With captivating images and self-secure originality, Albert Serra (Honour of the Knights, GFF 2007; The Death of Louis XIV, GFF 2017) expands his fascinating filmography with an unforgettable, contemporary fever dream (or nightmare), confirming his standing as one of our time’s great cinematic visionaries. Named best film of 2022 by Cahiers du Cinéma.

• Rasmus Kilander