The Certified Copy (Copie conforme)

2010/ France/ 107 mins/ Dir. Abbas Kiarostami
Cast: Juliette Binoche, Jean-Claude Carrière, William Shimell

An English writer, in Italy to promote his latest book, meets a French art gallery owner at a conference, and the pair begin an adventurous tour of Tuscany. He is in Italy to speak about his book, Certified Copy, which examines the relationship between original works of art and their copies. The book’s argument is that an imitation is just as good as the original, so long as it has the same effect on the viewer. As the pair travel around the lush countryside, the film explores the thesis of the book, but Certified Copy is not a dry formal exercise, ‘it is absolutely gorgeous, wrapping everything in a warm, golden glow. It’s that rare marvel: a film as pleasurable as it is sophisticated’. (Slant Magazine).

Juliette Binoche won the prize for Best Actress at Cannes Film Festival for her mesmerizing performance.