THE GREAT ARCH (L’INCONNU DE LA GRANDE ARCHE) World Cinema

North American Premiere

Continuing the tradition of films about obsessive architects, Stéphane Demoustier’s THE GREAT ARCH follows the true story of Johan Otto von Spreckelsen, an idealistic and little-known Dane whose design proposal was the surprise winner of a prestigious 1980s international competition to build a futuristic arch in Paris’s La Défense district. Having previously completed only a handful of modest projects, von Spreckelsen (brilliantly played by Claes Bang) seems the unlikeliest of candidates for such a monumental commission. But his lack of experience does not temper his hubris or exacting standards. As he grapples with technical obstacles, financial disputes, French bureaucracy and political upheaval, the strain of staying true to his artistic vision begins to take its toll. With intelligence, droll humor, and indelible sequences — including a breathtaking visit to the famed Carrara marble mines in Italy — THE GREAT ARCH also features pitch-perfect performances, from Michel Fau’s sly turn as French president François Mitterrand to Xavier Dolan’s steely portrayal of a stringent diplomat. –Mimi Brody