Premiere - Carmen: Take a look on the Paris premiere

By Mulder, Paris Pathe Wepler, 08 june 2023

This evening, our media team attended the Avant-Première of Benjamin Millepied's first film Carmen. Check out our video Q&A following the screening:

Benjamin Millepied has directed his first dramatic musical film, Carmen. The screenplay was written by Alexander Dinelaris Jr, Loïc Barrère and Millepied himself, based on a story by Millepied and Barrère. The film stars Melissa Barrera, Paul Mescal, Rossy de Palma and Tracy "The DOC" Curry.

Although billed as an adaptation of Bizet's opera of the same name, the film is actually a complete reimagining that ignores the opera's original plot and setting. Only a few selected lyrics from the opera's libretto are sung in French by a choir in the background during a scene between the two lead actors. The film's original score was composed by Nicholas Britell, and the songs were written and composed by Brittell, Taura Stinson, Julieta Venegas and Curry.

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2022, and was released in the U.S. on April 21, 2023 by Sony Pictures Classics. It is scheduled for release in France on June 14, 2023 by Pathé Distribution and in Australia on July 13 by Madman Films. Reviews have been mixed.

In May 2017, Benjamin Millepied had originally planned to direct his first film adaptation of Carmen for Chapter 2, describing it as a "modern reimagining" of one of the world's most famous operas. However, once the film was completed, Millepied admitted that it was less an adaptation than a version of Bizet's tragedy in a parallel universe. The script was written by Loïc Barrère and Millepied, and in May 2019, distribution rights to the film were acquired by Sony Pictures Classics, with Nilo Cruz tasked with writing the screenplay. In November 2020, it was revealed that Alexander Dinelaris Jr. had also co-written the script with Millepied and Barrère. In May 2019, Melissa Barrera and Jamie Dornan had been cast as Carmen and Aidan respectively, but in November 2020, Paul Mescal replaced Dornan and Rossy de Palma was also chosen to star in the film.

Principal photography took place in Australia from January 18, 2021, with Jörg Widmer as cinematographer, and ended in early March 2021. Nicholas Britell composed the film's music and co-wrote the songs with Julieta Venegas, Taura Stinson and Tracy "The DOC" Curry. Lynn Fainchtein was music producer and music supervisor.

Following its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2022, the film received a limited theatrical release in the U.S. on April 21, 2023 from Sony Pictures Classics. It is scheduled for theatrical release in France on June 14, 2023 by Pathé dsitribution.

You can see our selection of photos on our Flickr page

Synopsis: 
Carmen, a young Mexican woman trying to cross the border, stumbles upon an American patrol. Aidan, a young ex-Marine, saves her life by killing one of his own. Forever linked by that tragic night, and now pursued by the forces of law and order, they make their way together to the City of Angels. They find refuge in the heart of La Sombra Poderosa, a club run by Carmen's aunt, who offers them a suspended moment of music and dance.

Carmen
Directed by Benjamin Millepied
Screenplay by Alexander Dinelaris Jr, Loïc Barrère, Benjamin Millepied
Story by Benjamin Millepied, Loïc Barrère
Produced by Mimi Valdès, Dimitri Rassam, Rosemary Blight
With Melissa Barrera, Paul Mescal, Rossy de Palma, Tracy "The DOC" Curry
Director of photography: Jörg Widmer
Editing: Dany Cooper
Music: Nicholas Britell
Production companies: Chapter 2, Goalpost Pictures, TF1 Studio, France 2 Cinéma, Marvelous Productions
Distributed by Pathé Distribution (France), Sony Pictures Classics (USA), Madman Films (Australia)
Release dates: September 11, 2022 (TIFF), April 21, 2023 (U.S.), June 14, 2023 (France)
Running time: 117 minutes

Photos and video : Boris Colletier / Mulderville