The Mother and the Whore (Jean Eustache, 1973) | 2024 French Film Festival

Screening as part of the 2024 French Film Festival

Jan 26 - Feb 10, 2024

The Mother and the Whore (La maman et la putain)
(Jean Eustache, 1973, 219 min, France, French with English subtitles, DCP)
New 4K Restoration!

-- Introduced by Prof. Anne-Gaëlle Saliot (Romance Studies/Cinematic Arts); Q&A to follow

After the French New Wave, the sexual revolution, and May ’68 came The Mother and the Whore, the legendary, autobiographical magnum opus by Jean Eustache that captured a disillusioned generation navigating the post-idealism 1970s within the microcosm of a ménage à trois. The aimless, clueless, Parisian pseudo-intellectual Alexandre (Jean-Pierre Léaud) lives with his tempestuous older girlfriend, Marie (Bernadette Lafont), and begins a dalliance with the younger, sexually liberated Veronika (Françoise Lebrun, Eustache’s own former lover), leading to a volatile open relationship marked by everyday emotional violence and subtle but catastrophic shifts in power dynamics. Transmitting his own sex life to the screen with a startling immediacy, Eustache achieves an intimacy so deep it cuts.

“[A] harrowing psychodrama of destruction.” – Jay Cocks, Time Magazine

“The self-reflexive cool of the early New Wave films is obliquely put on trial as a willful distraction from the festering contradictions of a society that is perilously disconnected from its history.” – Jake Cole, Slant Magazine

“A classic that remains as burningly alive and shocking today as it was in 1973.” – Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune

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Screen/Society screenings are free and open to the public.

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COVID-19 INFORMATION:

As we welcome audiences back for in-person screening events, we are prioritizing the health and safety of our extended community. Keeping each other safe during events will require collaboration and we are grateful for your support. Screen/Society and the Rubenstein Arts Center will adhere to all university, local, and state regulations on and off campus, which are subject to change on short notice depending on public health conditions.

Vaccination Status: We strongly encourage audience members to be fully vaccinated or have a recent negative PCR test before attending an event.  Duke University currently requires all students and employees to be vaccinated. More information on Duke University’s COVID-19 response.

Masking: Current Duke University guidelines for events apply to all presentations on campus.  As of 09/22/2022, masks are no longer mandatory for indoor screenings, though the policy could change again in the future. Masking remains one of the most effective ways to protect yourself and others, and is strongly recommended, especially in indoor settings. We should respect an individual’s decision to wear a mask even if it is not required.

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Seating: For our screenings, seating is based on a first-come basis. We encourage everyone to be respectful during performances and maintain distancing as they feel comfortable.

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Hand Hygiene: Hand sanitizer stations are positioned throughout campus venues for your convenience.

Healthy Team: All employees and vendors are required to be symptom free before entering the building, as well as wear masks at all times, and frequently wash their hands during shifts.