Agathe (Camille Rutherford, Anatomy of a Fall) is seemingly living the romantic comedy dream. Working in the famous Parisian bookshop “Shakespeare & Co”, she shares an undeniable chemistry with her best friend/co-worker Félix (Pablo Pauly). However, underneath the rosy facade, Agathe is a struggling romance author stuck living with her sister and battling a severe case of writer’s block.
Perpetually surrounded by stories of others’ desires and adventures, she longs for a romance like the ones in her favourite novels. Everything changes when Agathe is unexpectedly invited to a prestigious Jane Austen residency in England.
Spending two weeks in a manor ripped directly from the pages of one of Austen’s stories, Agathe becomes acquainted with the handsome yet headstrong Oliver (Charlie Anson, Downton Abbey), Jane Austen’s great-great-great-great nephew.
Now finding herself in a situation much like the books that inspire her, Agathe faces not only a severe case of writer’s block, but a tantalising love-triangle that Austen herself would be proud of.
A smash-hit at the Alliance Française French Film Festival, this utterly charming rom-com from Laura Piani is a delightful love letter to the iconic author whose works still shape our conversations on love today.
Laura Piani
2024
France
French / English
94 MIN
CTC
Official Selection: Alliance Française French Film Festival 2025
Official Selection: French Film Festival Aotearoa 2025
Official Selection: Toronto Film Festival 2024
Official Selection: Marrakech Film Festival 2024
"…fills the gap left by films like Four Weddings and a Funeral. At a time when the entire rom-com genre has gravitated to streaming, this bilingual offering feels like the best kind of throwback."
Variety
"A smart and endearing film…charm and literary allusions that readers are going to adore."
Screen Zealots
"A kooky contemporary French riff on the famed 18th-century novelist."
Screen
"A sincere and charm-filled romantic comedy."
Cineuropa