"In the annals of monumental cinema, there are few objects more sacred than Out 1 … The cinephile's holy grail." – New York Times

Two theatre groups rehearse avant-garde adaptations of ancient Greek plays. A woman seduces and robs unsuspecting victims. A man receives notes hinting at a conspiracy.

Unseen for 40 years apart from a few sporadic screenings, Out 1 remains one of the most elusive objects committed to celluloid. Commissioned and then rejected by French television in 1970, Out 1 is Jacques Rivette's (Céline and Julie Go Boating, MIFF 1975; La Belle noiseuse, MIFF 192) most ambitious work, his magnum opus: a mostly improvised 12-and-a-bit-hour serial set in the studios, cafés and streets of Paris.

Amongst a cornucopia of French New Wave actors including Michel Lonsdale and Bulle Ogier is Jean-Pierre Léaud playing a vagrant-turned-detective who attempts to sort the disparate pieces of this puzzle. He has been given notes featuring quotations from Balzac and Lewis Carroll, and unearthed references to "the 13". Who are they, and what are they planning? Frédérique (Juliet Berto) has stolen some mysterious letters that may hold a vital clue. The two theatre groups are on the verge of collapse. Members of a secret group are beginning to assemble, but the film's narrative is breaking down around them.

Featuring one of Léaud's great performances and functioning as a time capsule of Paris in the aftermath of May 1968, Out 1 is a rare, not-to-be-missed experience. And as part of our special retrospective on the work of Léaud, MIFF is proud to present this exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime screening, presented in its entirety over four sessions on Saturday and Sunday August 9 and 10.

"Rivette's grandest experiment and most exciting adventure in filmmaking." – Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

Please note that the print screening at MIFF is German-subtitled. English subtitles will additionally be projected just below the image.

Booking Session 4481 will book all 4 sessions. Sessions cannot be booked individually. Tickets may be booked on a festival passport, but not on an eMini.

Episodes 1 + 2 Saturday 9 August 4pm

Episodes 3 + 4 Saturday 9 August 7.45pm

Episodes 5 + 6 Sunday 10 August 4pm

Episodes 7 + 8 Sunday 10 August 7.45pm

For more in-depth information on Out 1: Noli Me Tangere, read the Senses of Cinema dossier.