VIVA CARMEN! – Screening

Soaringly romantic, intensely dramatic, and the source of the most banging aria in operatic history, Bizet’s Carmen has been adapted for the screen over 100 times, with everyone from Rita Hayworth to Beyoncé having a go at the title role.

Trust Sébastien Laudenbach to put a fresh spin on the tale. The French filmmaker applies his trademark graphic style – bold colors and thick, expressive linework – to the streets of Seville, bringing the 19th-century city to life in a riot of purples, oranges and blues. The film looks like nothing else, except perhaps his previous features, which have earned him a cult following: his sensual, solo-effort debut The Girl Without Hands and the exuberant family caper Chicken for Linda! (directed with Chiara Malta and AIF award winner in 2023).

VIVA CARMEN! also reimagines the opera’s story, telling it from the perspective of a newly invented band of street kids. Their interactions with Carmen and co. sharpen the themes of fate, love and loss, while giving viewers an entry point into the narrative. Premiered at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes, the film is a beautiful addition to the Carmen canon, finding new energy in the old story and hope amid the tragedy.