Jacques Rivette (Celine and Julie Go Boating), the great cinematic visionary, although the least known of the major French New Wave directors, started Paris nous appartient – his first feature – in 1957 and completed it over a two-year period.

On 24 September the BFI will bring this classic of French cinema to Blu-ray for the first time in the UK. Special features include a new full-length commentary.

Anne, a student in Paris, becomes involved with her brother’s artsy friends – US expat Philip, self-destructive femme fatale Terry, theatre director Gérard – and gets sucked into a mystery surrounding the death of Spanish activist Juan. When Philip warns that Gérard is in danger from the forces that killed Juan, Anne takes a part in his production of Shakespeare’s Pericles in an attempt to discover the truth.

Paris nous appartient includes cameos from directors Claude Chabrol, Jean-Luc Godard and Jacques Demy, as well as a striking musique concrète experimental score to accompany Charles Bitsch’s stunning black and white photography.

Paris nous appartient [Paris Belongs To Us] will be released on UK Blu-ray on 24 September 2018 by the BFI at the RRP of £19.99.

Special features:

• Newly commissioned feature-length commentary by film scholar Adrian Martin (2018)
• Filmed introduction by Jonathan Romney on Rivette and Paris nous appartient (2006, 18 mins)
• Le Coup du berger (Jacques Rivette, 1957, 29 mins)
• Illustrated booklet with a new essay by So Mayer, Tom Milne’s 1962 review and a preview by Louis Marcorelles looking forward to the film’s release