Alone in a Parisian theatre after a day of auditions, director Thomas (Mathieu Amalric) is complaining over the phone to his fiancée about the poor quality of the actresses. As he prepares to leave Vanda (Emmanuelle Seigner) suddenly appears: an unbridled and brazen whirlwind of energy who embodies everything Thomas hates. But when Thomas finds himself backed into a corner and lets her try her luck, he is amazed to see Vanda transformed. Not only has she found the right props and costumes, but she understands the character (whose name she shares) intimately, and knows all her lines by heart. The "audition" lengthens and intensifies, and Thomas's attraction starts to develop into an obsession.
The new film from iconic master director Roman Polanski, this rigorously intelligent, frequently hilarious investigation into the structures of power, the nature of desire and the importance of art is set to be a dinner party talking point for years to come.
