La Grande Arche in Dutch cinemas from 29 January onwards

Missed the opening film of AFFR 2025? La Grande Arche – the fascinating and true story behind one of the most ambitious architectural projects of the 20th century – is coming to cinemas, including, of course, LantarenVenster.

About the film

La Grande Arche | Stéphane Demoustier | France | 2025 | 104′

It is 1982. French President François Mitterrand announces a competition for a new monument at La Défense, as part of his megalomaniac Grands Projets, eight monuments to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the French Republic. Unexpectedly, the until then unknown Danish architect Johan Otto von Spreckelsen played by Claes Bang (The Square) wins.

Together with his wife and business partner Liv, Sidse Babett Knudsen (Borgen), he moves to Paris to realise the project. Due to a difficult collaboration with architect Paul Andreu, his ‘cube’, as he lovingly calls the project, gets into increasing trouble. The idealistic Dane becomes trapped in a web of political intrigue.

Director Stéphane Demoustier’s elegant film The Great Arch (La Grande Arche), based on Laurence Cossé’s book of the same name, tells the true story of Von Spreckelsen without too much melodrama and with attention to detail.