ddddddd                                                                                                                      bbbbbbb                                
                                                                      d:::::d                                                                                                                      b:::::b                                
                                                                      d:::::d                                                                                                                      b:::::b                                
                                                                      d:::::d                                                                                                                      b:::::b                                
                                                                      d:::::d                                                                                                                      b:::::b                                
rrrrr   rrrrrrrrr       eeeeeeeeeeee    nnnn  nnnnnnnn        ddddddddd:::::d     eeeeeeeeeeee    zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz nnnn  nnnnnnnn       ooooooooooo   uuuuuu    uuuuuu      ssssssssss            b:::::bbbbbbbbb        eeeeeeeeeeee    
r::::rrr:::::::::r    ee::::::::::::ee  n:::nn::::::::nn    dd::::::::::::::d   ee::::::::::::ee  z:::::::::::::::z n:::nn::::::::nn   oo:::::::::::oo u::::u    u::::u    ss::::::::::s           b::::::::::::::bb    ee::::::::::::ee  
r:::::::::::::::::r  e::::::eeeee:::::een::::::::::::::nn  d::::::::::::::::d  e::::::eeeee:::::eez::::::::::::::z  n::::::::::::::nn o:::::::::::::::ou::::u    u::::u  ss:::::::::::::s          b::::::::::::::::b  e::::::eeeee:::::ee
rr::::::rrrrr::::::re::::::e     e:::::enn:::::::::::::::nd:::::::ddddd:::::d e::::::e     e:::::ezzzzzzzz::::::z   nn:::::::::::::::no:::::ooooo:::::ou::::u    u::::u  s::::::ssss:::::s         b:::::bbbbb:::::::be::::::e     e:::::e
 r:::::r     r:::::re:::::::eeeee::::::e  n:::::nnnn:::::nd::::::d    d:::::d e:::::::eeeee::::::e      z::::::z      n:::::nnnn:::::no::::o     o::::ou::::u    u::::u   s:::::s  ssssss          b:::::b    b::::::be:::::::eeeee::::::e
 r:::::r     rrrrrrre:::::::::::::::::e   n::::n    n::::nd:::::d     d:::::d e:::::::::::::::::e      z::::::z       n::::n    n::::no::::o     o::::ou::::u    u::::u     s::::::s               b:::::b     b:::::be:::::::::::::::::e 
 r:::::r            e::::::eeeeeeeeeee    n::::n    n::::nd:::::d     d:::::d e::::::eeeeeeeeeee      z::::::z        n::::n    n::::no::::o     o::::ou::::u    u::::u        s::::::s            b:::::b     b:::::be::::::eeeeeeeeeee  
 r:::::r            e:::::::e             n::::n    n::::nd:::::d     d:::::d e:::::::e              z::::::z         n::::n    n::::no::::o     o::::ou:::::uuuu:::::u  ssssss   s:::::s          b:::::b     b:::::be:::::::e           
 r:::::r            e::::::::e            n::::n    n::::nd::::::ddddd::::::dde::::::::e            z::::::zzzzzzzz   n::::n    n::::no:::::ooooo:::::ou:::::::::::::::uus:::::ssss::::::s         b:::::bbbbbb::::::be::::::::e          
 r:::::r             e::::::::eeeeeeee    n::::n    n::::n d:::::::::::::::::d e::::::::eeeeeeee   z::::::::::::::z   n::::n    n::::no:::::::::::::::o u:::::::::::::::us::::::::::::::s  ::::::  b::::::::::::::::b  e::::::::eeeeeeee  
 r:::::r              ee:::::::::::::e    n::::n    n::::n  d:::::::::ddd::::d  ee:::::::::::::e  z:::::::::::::::z   n::::n    n::::n oo:::::::::::oo   uu::::::::uu:::u s:::::::::::ss   ::::::  b:::::::::::::::b    ee:::::::::::::e  
 rrrrrrr                eeeeeeeeeeeeee    nnnnnn    nnnnnn   ddddddddd   ddddd    eeeeeeeeeeeeee  zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz   nnnnnn    nnnnnn   ooooooooooo       uuuuuuuu  uuuu  sssssssssss     ::::::  bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb       eeeeeeeeeeeeee

Beau Travail, a sensory meditation on power, oppression and lust, is Claire Denis’ transformation of the novel Billy Budd (1924) . When Galoup, an officer in the French Foreign Legion in Djibouti, falls under the spell of the charismatic Sentain, military order begins to crumble slowly. Amidst colonial remnants and vast desert landscapes, a rhythmic and sensual choreography unfolds.

With her camera, Denis gets unnervingly close to her characters’ often bare skin, exploring how every glance and movement is charged with desire, jealousy and rivalry. More than twenty-five years on, Beau Travail remains one of the most fascinating and inimitable films of her generation.

This screening will be introduced by film scholar Alexander De Man.