SOLEIL (France, 1988, Pierre Clémenti)

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A cult art-cinema actor's trance-like psychedelic poem in 16mm. —Le Cinéma Club

SOLEIL, Pierre Clémenti’s final film — and purportedly his favorite — has been described as “if Arthur Rimbaud had gotten hold of a camera” by the Cinémathèque française.

In this film, Clémenti amalgamates the stylistic elements of his previous film (and sole feature), À L'OMBRE DE LA CANAILLE BLEU, with influences from his poetry and earlier work as a filmmaker. Via dramatic reenactment, Clémenti reflects on his unlawful arrest in 1972 for drug possession, whereupon he was imprisoned, without trial, for 17 months. The film also features extensive footage of Clémenti’s family and children, including his wife Margareth and son Balthazar.

SOLEIL is characterized by a level of introspection not apparent in Clémenti’s earlier works. In it, the artist manages to counterbalance his cynicism about the state of the world with the undoubtedly countercultural spirit that informed so much of his filmmaking in the 1960s. Ultimately, SOLEIL is the work of a hippie shaped by experience and tempered by time.

With melancholy and grace, [Clémenti] takes stock of a life lived on his own terms, no matter the cost. —The Museum of Modern Art

SOLEIL is part of the DSL collection THE PIERRE CLÉMENTI COLLECTION.

SOLEIL
(France, 1988)

Director: Pierre Clémenti

  • 17 minutes
  • 16mm
  • Color
  • Sound
Distribution Format/s: DSL/Downloadable 1080p .mp4 file on server

Published By: Balthazar Clémenti

Institutional Price: $250

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