4K RESTORATION OF A CINEMA DU LOOK CULT CLASSIC!

Diva a neo-noir thriller by Jean-Jacques Beineix, justifiably celebrated with a stunning new 4K restoration premiering for the first time in Chicago, follows Jules (Frédéric Andréi), a young Parisian postman, who secretly records a concert by the opera singer Cynthia Hawkins (Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez), an artist he deeply admires.

The next day, Jules finds himself entangled in danger when a woman, fleeing from armed pursuers, slips an audio cassette into his mailbag just before she is killed. As you step into the world of Diva, you are immediately struck by its elegance, which is not flashy or glamorous, yet exudes a quiet refinement. Working with cinematographer Philippe Rousselot, filmmaker Jean-Jacques Beineix crafts a visually rich aesthetic that invites focused attention, enhancing the film’s air of mystery and intrigue, known later as the Cinema du Look, and Diva defined this movement.

Beineix masterfully sustains tension throughout, striking a perfect balance between unraveling the central mystery and savoring the nuanced, often unpredictable interactions among the characters. Here is another example of a film that was underrated (on its initial release in France), became a cult classic (once it was shown in America) and was then re-evaluated. It is this careful interplay of mood, style, and storytelling that gives Diva its lasting power and winner of four César awards, including Best First Film, Best Music, Best Sound, and Philippe Rousselot’s cinematography).