Director Diastème's debut film is an excellent ensemble piece reminiscent of Danièle Thompson's Fauteuils d'orchestre. Set at the Festival d'Avignon, it is the story of the people who make the festival happen: performers, writers, stage workers and the audience. The nine principal actors in the film each could make a case for best performance. From Emma de Caunes' and Frédéric Andrau's deteriorating lovers to Bruno Todeschini's widowed playwright to Jeanne Rosa's suicidal singer, Diastème's characters are broken and helpless without each other. Linh-Dan Pham (Ne le dis à personne) plays a quirky sort of festival groupie / angel / devil who lends humour to the drama of the lives unfolding around her, and also instills the piece with a wonderful air of mystery. From the odd opening sequence to the intriguing end, Diastème and team have created captivating cinema. SL