DIVA
Year: 1980
Country:
France
Run Time:
123 minutes
Beineix's first film is a stylishly directed thriller featuring fast-paced action revolving around the hero's possession of two secret tapes: One, the glorious singing of the diva; the other, the desperate swan song of a prostitute revealing a major vice scandal. Jules (Frederic Andrei) is a young man who delivers mail on his trusty moped when he isn't sitting in concert halls enthralled by his idol the "diva," who has never permitted her voice to be recorded. For his own pleasure, Jules captures her top performance on tape, observed by shady recording entrepreneurs. Unbeknownst to Jules, a prostitute hides her confessional tape in his mailbag, observed by crime syndicate hit men. Two sinister teams of bad guys vie with a pair of detectives in mad chases for the tapes, adding to the mounting body count along the way. The hunted hero is aided by a free spirited Vietnamese girl and her lover, Gorodish (a recurring popular character in Delacorta's novels), a mystic who believes in Zen and the art of buttering bread as much as outwitting evildoers. The cinematography is stunning, with frames that resemble hard-edge paintings. . .surrealistic landscapes of another world.
"The novel touches, bizarre chases and plot twists, breathtaking camerawork. . .make DIVA a superior piece of entertainment." - Variety
Screenplay
Jean-Jacques Beineix and Jean Van Hamme (from the novel by Delacorta)
Producer
Irene Silberman
Cinematography
Philippe Rousselot
Editing
Marie-Josephe Yoyotte and Monique Prim
Principal Cast
Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez, Frederic Andrei, Richard Bohringer, Thuy An Luu, Jacques Fabbri
Donate
Your donation helps fulfill our mission to promote artistically and culturally significant film arts through education and exhibition.
Film Festival
Films
CIFF Streams
Plan Your Day
Events
CIFF Media
Archive
Store
Support Us
FAQs
- General
- Membership & Passes
- Tickets & Vouchers
- CIFF46 Program
- CIFF46 @ PSQ
- CIFF46 Streams
- How to Stream
- Streams Glossary
- Call for Entries
Press Room
About
Policies
Financials
Admin Office
Cleveland International Film Festival
2510 Market Avenue
Cleveland OH 44113-3434
(216) 623-3456 | EMAIL
©CIFF, 2024
Site Design + Development 
