At 87, Eric Rohmer, lifelong connoisseur and satirist of the romantic misadventures of the young and self-absorbed, finds inspiration in a classic Arcadian romance.
Screened as part of NZIFF 2008
The Romance of Astrea and Céladon 2007
Les amours d’Astrée et de Céladon
At 87, Eric Rohmer, lifelong connoisseur and satirist of the romantic misadventures of the young and self-absorbed, finds inspiration in a classic 17th-century French text, an Arcadian romance set in 5th-century Gaul. The shepherd Céladon and the beautiful Astrea are lovers until their romance is torn asunder by a sudden misunderstanding which lands Céladon in the clutches of the sensual Galathea and her handmaidens. A helpful passerby suggests our hero disguise himself to re-enter Astrea's life and heart. "Like all things old becoming new again, this ancient tale embodies Rohmer's very contemporary themes, presenting its mélange of romantic befuddlement, entanglement and desire as effortlessly and entertainingly as any modern romance. Deliciously anachronistic, this sweet-natured idyll is the great director's farewell to a lifetime of star-crossed, verbose and ever-so-lovely lovers." — Jason Sanders, San Francisco International Film Festival