Directed by Louis Malle • 1987 • France, West Germany
Starring Gaspard Manesse, Raphaël Fejtö, Francine Racette
AU REVOIR LES ENFANTS tells a heartbreaking story of friendship and devastating loss concerning two boys living in Nazi-occupied France. At a provincial Catholic boarding school, the precocious youths enjoy true camaraderie—until a secret is revealed. Based on events from writer-director Malle’s own childhood, the film is a subtle, precisely observed tale of courage, cowardice, and tragic awakening.
In this interview, recorded in Paris in 2005, film critic Pierre Billard, author of the biography “Louis Malle: Le rebelle solitaire,” discusses the rebellious spirit behind the director’s most controversial films.
Actor Candice Bergen and director Louis Malle were married for fifteen years, until his death in 1995. This interview with Bergen was recorded in 2005.