THE GREAT ARCH
Special Features: Special Presentation | Post-screening reception sponsored by Alliance Française Washington DC on Dec. 14
[L’INCONNU DE LA GRANDE ARCHE]
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’ 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. (Note courtesy of AFI FEST.)
Official Selection, 2025 AFI FEST and Cannes film festivals. DIR/SCR Stéphane Demoustier, from the novel by Laurence Cossé; PROD Muriel Meynard. France/Denmark, 2025, color, 106 min. In English, French and Danish with French subtitles. NOT RATED
Run Time: 106 Minutes
Opening Date: Sunday, December 14, 2025
Genre: Historical drama
Reception