August 1715. When taking a stroll, Louis XIV feels a pain in his leg. Over the next few days, he continues to perform his duties, but his sleep is troubled and his temperature rises. The king grows weaker can hardly eat. This is the beginning of the slow and agonizing death of the greatest king of French.
In his new film, the fascinating Catalan director Albert Serra (Honor of the Knights, Birdsong) continues with his bold and beautiful cinema, where each frame looks like a renaissance chiaroscuro painting and 72-year-old Nouvelle Vague star Jean-Pierre Léaud delivers a phenomenal performance in the lead role. The film premiered at the last Cannes Festival to rave reviews.