Film
In a small coastal village in Northern France, the birth of a baby threatens to throw the galaxy into turmoil. The sinister Belzébuth (Fabrice Luchini)’s imperial forces arrive on Earth to kidnap the child and prevent him from fulfilling his extraordinary destiny, but emissaries from the Queen (Camille Cottin) stand in their way. Under the lethargic gaze of two incompetent cops, Northern France becomes the epicenter of a conflict of galactic proportions… Playful apocalyptic fun at the intersection of social realism and burlesque space opera!
Starting out as a philosophy teacher, Bruno Dumont decides to become a filmmaker at the turn of the 90s. He shot his first two films in Bailleul, his hometown in French Flanders: The Life of Jesus (1997) and Humanity (1999), both of which win awards at Cannes. He often works with non-professional actors and adopts an uncompromisingly realistic approach that explores the darkest recesses of the human condition. With The Empire, he switches gears and goes for a more humorous tone, expanding on the world he created in P’tit Quinquin (NIFFF 2014).
Selected filmography
1997 – The Life of Jesus
1999 – Humanity
2014 – P’tit Quinquin
2016 – Ma Loute
2019 – Jeanne
