35 SHOTS OF RUM

Claire Denis (born 1946 in Paris) is one of France’s most distinctive auteurs, whose films confront colonial legacy, exile, desire, and the quiet traditions of the everyday. Growing up in several African countries, she trained at IDHEC and began her career working as an assistant to filmmakers like Wim Wenders and Jacques Rivette. Her feature debut Chocolat (1988) premiered in Competition at Cannes, announcing her poetic voice. In 1996, Nénette et Boni won the Golden Leopard at Locarno, while Both Sides of the Blade (2022) earned her the Silver Bear for Best Director at Berlin. Denis is equally known for Beau Travail, 35 Shots of Rum, White Material, Trouble Every Day, and High Life. With frequent collaborators like cinematographer Agnès Godard and screenwriter Jean-Pol Fargeau, her cinema shuns narrative certainty in favor of mood, texture, and emotion – inviting audiences to dwell in what’s unsaid as much as what’s shown.