Synopsis
Smoking and No Smoking are two segments of the film which are based on closely connected plays. The original plays covered eight separate stories, which have been pared down to three each for these movies. At a certain point in the story of each segment, the five female characters and the four male characters have their lives skillfully recapped in terms of “what might have happened” if they had made or failed to make certain choices. For example, No Smoking focuses chiefly on the relationship between the mild-mannered Miles Coombes and his infinitely more aggressive and ambitious wife, Rowena.
Filmmaker
Alain Resnais
(Vannes, 1922 – Paris, 2014) One of unorthodox, influential film directors appearing in France in the late 1950s. From 1946 to 1948 he directed several artist portraits on 16 mm and made his first documentary, Night and Fog, in 1955, received the Prix Jean Vigo. Throughout his career, his features frequently made rounds within the festival circuit and earned him numerous awards at Venice Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival and Berlinale. For his latest film, Life of Riley, he won the FIPRESCI Award during the 64th edition of Berlinale.
Filmography:
