The Royal Exchange

FEATURE FILM

SUNDAY, MARCH 31 – 3:15 PM – 1H40 – ALL AUDIENCES

Presentation by and discussion with director of photography Gilles Porte

1721. A bold idea is brewing in the head of Philip of Orléans, Regent of France. 11-year-old Louis XV is soon to become King, and an exchange of princesses would allow the Nation to consolidate peace with Spain after years of war that have bled the two kingdoms’ coffers dry. He therefore marries off his 12-year-old daughter, Mademoiselle de Montpensier, to the heir of the Spanish throne, in exchange for which Louis XV must marry the Spanish Infante, 4-year-old Mariana Victoria. But this precipitated introduction to the world of courtly manipulation and power games will soon get the better of the young princesses and their carefree spirits. . .

A beautifully filmed historical drama, based on actual events which unfolded during the 18th-century, that also poignantly reminds U.S. viewers of the crucial importance today to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

This screening is associated with cinematographer Gilles Porte’s Free Master Class taking place on Friday, March 29 in VCU’s Institute for Contemporary Art.