It's time for another Best Films You've Never Seen instalment, this time presenting a special screening at The Capitol of Claire Denis' 1999 modern classic Beau Travail.
Inspired by Herman Melville’s 1888 novella Billy Budd, but set against the backdrop of the Djibouti desert, this shimmering, poetic film explores the complexities of desire, masculinity, and isolation within the confines of a French Foreign Legion outpost.
The Best Films You’ve Never Seen: Beau Travail
- When: Thursday 16 May, 6pm
- Where: The Capitol, Swanston Street
- Tickets: Here
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Beau Travail debuted in Sight and Sound’s 2022 Greatest Films of All Time list at number 7, but has long been revered by cinephiles and filmmakers; director Barry Jenkins cites it as a key influence on his 2016 Oscar winning film, Moonlight.
This screening will open with an introduction from RMIT Cinema Studies academic Djoymi Baker who will discuss Beau Travail as a key example of the ways Denis’ distinctive authorial style asks us to focus on landscapes and the body, and why this film resonates with audiences and critics alike.
And of course, they like to keep tickets accessible for everyone at only $10.
