The Double Life of Véronique

Krzysztof Kieslowski

France, Poland

1991

98 minutes

Color

1.66:1

Polish, French

359

Synopsis

Krzysztof Kieslowski’s international breakthrough remains one of his most beloved films, a ravishing, mysterious rumination on identity, love, and human intuition. Irène Jacob is incandescent as both Weronika, a Polish choir soprano, and her double, Véronique, a French music teacher. Though unknown to each other, the two women share an enigmatic, purely emotional bond, which Kieslowski details in gorgeous reflections, colors, and movements. Aided by Slawomir Idziak’s shimmering cinematography and Zbigniew Preisner’s haunting, operatic score, Kieslowski creates one of cinema’s most purely metaphysical works. The Double Life of Véronique is an unforgettable symphony of feeling.

Cast

Weronika/VéroniqueIrène Jacob
Alexandre FabbriPhilippe Volter
CatherineSandrine Dumas
The auntHalina Gryglaszewka
Weronika's fatherWladyslaw Kowalski
AntekJerzy Gudejko

Credits

DirectorKrzysztof Kieslowski
ProducerLeonardo de Fuente
ScreenplayKrzysztof Kieslowski and Krzysztof Piesiewicz
CinematographySlawomir Idziak

Disc Features

SPECIAL EDITION DOUBLE-DISC SET FEATURES:

  • New, restored high-definition digital transfer
  • Audio commentary by Annette Insdorf, author of Double Lives, Second Chances: The Cinema of Krzysztof Kieslowski
  • Three short documentary films by Kieslowski: Factory (1970), Hospital (1976), and Railway Station (1980)
  • The Musicians (1958), a short film by Kieslowski’s teacher Kazimierz Karabasz
  • Kieslowski’s Dialogue (1991), a documentary featuring a candid interview with Kieslowski and rare behind-the-scenes footage from the set of The Double Life of Véronique
  • 1966-1988: Kieslowski, Polish Filmmaker, a 2005 documentary tracing the filmmaker’s work in Poland, from his days as a student through The Double Life of Véronique
  • A 2005 interview with actress Irène Jacob
  • New video interviews with cinematographer Slawomir Idziak and composer Zbigniew Preisner
  • New and improved English subtitle translation
  • PLUS: A book featuring new essays by Jonathan Romney, Slavoj Zizek, and Peter Cowie, and a selection from Kieslowski on Kieslowski

From the Current

The Double Life of Véronique:
Through the Looking Glass

by Jonathan Romney Nov 20, 2006

When Krzysztof Kieslowski’s The Double Life of Véronique was first screened in Cannes, in 1991, the critical reception was rapturous. Georgia Brown in the Village Voice

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Available Editions

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