About Joan

About Joan – Main movie still

SYNOPSIS

At the corner of a street in Paris, Joan Verra runs into her first love, a once young Irishman. Overwhelmed, she leaves for her country house and revisits the last 40 years, building a fantasized picture of her life. Her son Nathan, just back from Montreal, accompanies her in these moments. A long-awaited but liberating journey about coming to terms with the stories we tell ourselves.

Trailer

Featured Quote

Isabelle Huppert lends her enigmatic facial expressions and rigorous poses to portray a woman who is hard to forget.

Berlinale

Production Overview

Working on ABOUT JOAN was a wonderful and collaborative experience, and a perfect example of the importance of European co-production. In working with 247 Films, from France; and Gifted Films West, from Germany - we were able to explore the story of our main character Joan Verra who over the course of her life, spent time in Ireland, France and Germany. It was a privilege for Blinder to work on a project with one of the greatest actors in the world, who beautifully plays the role of Joan - the inimitable Isabelle Huppert; who was awarded the Golden Bear for her Lifetime Achievement to Cinema at the film’s world premiere in Berlinale 2022.

For the Irish part of the story, we follow a younger Joan (Freya Mavor) during her days, working as an au pair for an Irish family in the 1970s. Production took place in October 2020; this was our first project to film in the pandemic and over the course of the seven day shoot, it was very exciting to get back to work, and recreate an older Dublin and showcase incredible Irish cast, with Éanna Hardwicke, Stanley Townsend, Breffni Holahan; crew Kathy Strachan, Neill Treacy, Denise Watson and Eileen Buggy; and locations such as Kings Inn and the Gravediggers pub - it was just a shame that it wasn’t open so we couldn’t show the international cast and crew some Irish hospitality!

Production
Credits

Director Laurent Larivière
Writers François Decodts
Laurent Larivière
Producers Xavier Rigault
Marc-Antoine Robert
Reza Bahar
Katie Holly
Executive Producers Celine Haddad
Evan Horan
Laurence Méoc
Cast Isabelle Huppert
Lars Eidinger
Swann Arlaud
Freya Mavor
Florence Loiret Caille
Stanley Townsend
Éanna Hardwicke
Director of Photography Céline Bozon
Editor Marie-Pierre Frappier
Production Designer Aurette Leroy
Neill Treacy
Costume Designer Nathalie Raoul
Kathy Strachan
Composer Jérôme Rebotier
Line Producer Christine Moarbes
Lisa Kelly
Casting Maguy Aimé
Amy Rowan

Festivals & Awards

Berlinale – Speciale Gala

Dublin International Film Festival

Partners

247 Films

Gifted Films West

Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Cinèma

Playtime

Eurimages

CNC

Screen Ireland

Film- und Medienstiftung NRW