OPENING NIGHT
East Coast Premiere

Widow Clicquot

THOMAS NAPPER
France, UK, 2023
90 minutes, Color

Set in France during the Napoleonic Wars, Widow Clicquot tells the true story of Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin (1777–1866), the "Grande Dame of Champagne" who, at the age of 20, became Madame Clicquot after marrying the scion of a winemaking family. Although their marriage was arranged, a timeless love blossomed between Barbe-Nicole (Haley Bennett) and her poetic, unconventional, and erratic husband, François (Tom Sturridge). In the weeds after her spouse's untimely death, and now a mother to daughter Clémentine, Barbe-Nicole is still enamored and enthralled with François' avant-garde experiments. Dubbed "Veuve" (the French word for widow) at age 27, she resolves to protect her family's legacy and boldly challenge the men—as well as the state—set on stripping her of her vineyards.

Determined to advance her husband's theories, Barbe-Nicole wagers on the next harvest and her own blend of sparkling wine. Challenged by the capriciousness of the seasons, the aggressive competitor Monsieur Moët, and the Napoleonic Code of 1804 barring women from running businesses, the elegant and luminous widow must succeed or lose everything. Director Thomas Napper entwines a sparkling story of flourishing female entrepreneurship with an account of doomed lovers whose legacy reverberates in the bubbles. The film is a toast to the perseverance of unshakeable women and a toast to Veuve Clicquot.—Toronto International Film Festival

In English

Followed by a reception