L'Inconnu de la Grande Arche - Stéphane Demoustier

In 1983, President François Mitterrand announced an international architecture competition for the showpiece of his presidency: the Grande Arche de la Défense, extending from the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe. To everyone's surprise, the winner was the unknown Danish architect Otto von Spreckelsen. Overnight, the 53-year-old Dane found himself in Paris, where he was put in charge of this gigantic construction project. Although the architect intended to realise his design for the Grande Arche, it soon became apparent that his ideas clashed with the stubborn realities and vagaries of politics. La Grande Arche tells the fascinating and true story behind one of the most ambitious architectural projects of the 20th century, the Grand Projets, with which French President François Mitterrand commissioned a series of modern monuments to redesign Paris. One of the most talked-about projects was the Grande Arche in La Défense. In 1982, an international design competition was launched, open to everyone. Surprisingly, out of no fewer than 424 entries, the relatively unknown Danish architect Johan Otto von Spreckelsen emerged as the winner. His visionary design was received with enthusiasm, but tragically, he would never live to see the completion of his masterpiece. Director Stéphane Demoustier brings the story to life with suspense and humour, focusing primarily on the psychological development of the misunderstood architect. The lead role is played by Danish actor Claes Bang (The Square), who portrays Otto von Spreckelsen with verve. Other roles are played by Sidse Babette Knudsen (Borgen), Xavier Dolan (Juste la fin du monde, J’ai tué ma mère) and Michael Fau (Marguerite, Swimming Pool). The film is based on the novel La Grande Arche by Laurence Cossé and premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival.