Friday Night
Claire Denis, 2002, 86 min

Introduced by Hope Rangaswami

The night before she’s set to move in with her boyfriend, Laure (Valérie Lemercier) is driving over to a friend’s place for dinner. But as a transit strike suspends her in a citywide traffic jam, she finds herself in an urban purgatory, her car the only barrier between her and the pent-up energy of Paris at a standstill. When a handsome stranger (Vincent Lindon) knocks on her window, that boundary collapses, and her night takes a detour. Exquisitely erotic and nearly wordless, Friday Night tells a sensuous story of what happens when two bodies collide. Set to a gorgeous score by Tindersticks’ Dickon Hinchliffe, this enchanting tale of transient intimacy showcases Claire Denis’ exceptional ability to let bodies do the talking.

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Screening as part of Strange Encounters programme