La double vie de Véronique

The Double Life of Veronique | Die zwei Leben der Veronika
In 1990 Poland, singer Weronika feels that she is “not alone in the world”. And indeed, her double is living in France – Véronique. The two almost meet in Krakow, but Véronique is already riding off in a tour bus. Unbeknownst to her, she has inadvertently photographed Weronika. Véronique is also a singer and, like her Polish counterpart, she also suffers from a heart condition. But while Weronika gives her life for song, Véronique gives up singing and becomes a music teacher. At a puppet show, she falls in love with a puppeteer. When he calls her a few nights later, Véronique suddenly hears the song that Weronika sang just before her death.
The magic triangle of Krzysztof Kieślowski, actor Irène Jacob and composer Zbigniew Preisner gives off an incandescent light. Using just a few historical anchors, the director takes ownership of the French post-modern style. Open to a variety of interpretations, the “affairs of the heart” depicted in the film, and the glowing golden light in both Poland and Paris, can be interpreted as the director’s visions – of a latent spiritual kinship, but also as an aesthetic convergence between East and West Europe.
by Krzysztof Kieślowski (Director, Screenplay), Krzysztof Piesiewicz (Screenplay)
with Irène Jacob, Philippe Volter, Sandrine Dumas, Halina Gryglaszewska, Kalina Jędrusik, Aleksander Bardini, Władysław Kowalski, Jerzy Gudejko
France / Poland / Norway 1991 French, Polish 98' Colour Rating R 12

With

  • Irène Jacob
  • Philippe Volter
  • Sandrine Dumas
  • Halina Gryglaszewska
  • Kalina Jędrusik
  • Aleksander Bardini
  • Władysław Kowalski
  • Jerzy Gudejko

Crew

Director Krzysztof Kieślowski
Screenplay Krzysztof Kieślowski, Krzysztof Piesiewicz
Cinematography Sławomir Idziak
Editing Jacques Witta
Music Zbigniew Preisner
Sound Design François de Morant, Didier Pêcheur, Roger Di Ponio
Costumes Laurence Brignon, Claudia Fellous, Elzbieta Radke
Make-Up Agnès Tassel, Iwona Maria Karpinska, Jolanta Stachecka
Producer Leonardo de la Fuente
Executive Producers Bernard Pierre Guiremand, Ryszard Chutkowski

Additional information

DCP: Studiocanal, Berlin