This film is part of Rentals
Esther Kahn
Arnaud Desplechin's artfully directed tale of a young Jewish girl drawn to the passion of theatre in 19th-century London.
Director: Arnaud Desplechin
Overview
Staged with authenticity and studded with passion, French director Arnaud Desplechin’s first English language film is a delight for the senses. Set in 19th-century London, it tells the story of Esther, a young, timid girl adopted by a Jewish family, who's drawn to the passionate world of theatre. A vivid and enticing character study that aims to explore the notion of what it means to be an actor.
Adapted by Desplechin himself, along with his writing partner Emmanuel Bordieu, and based on the short story by Arthur Symons, Esther Kahn simmers with the intimacy of working class life and the extravagance of the stage. Propelled by a strong performance from Summer Phoenix, sister of actors Joaquin and the later River Phoenix, it's an entrancing work which betrays the level of detail and care that Desplechin clearly has for his story and characters.
Contains very strong language and strong sex references and violenceRelated
Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom
Drama 2019 109 mins Director: Pawo Choyning Dorji
A city-loving teacher struggling for inspiration travels to the most remote school in the world in this quietly majestic Academy Award-nominated drama.
Parthenope Parthenope
Drama 2024 136 mins Director: Paolo Sorrentino
An alluring young woman seeks a deeper sense of purpose after a tragedy, in Paolo Sorrentino’s deeply romantic epic.
It's Raining Men It's Raining Men
Comedy 2023 123 mins Director: Caroline Vignal
Iris (Laure Calamy) disrupts her bourgeois routine by joining a dating app and embarking on an amusing, sensual quest for identity and lost desire.
The Penguin Lessons The Penguin Lessons
Drama 2025 112 mins Director: Peter Cattaneo
Steve Coogan is superb as a disillusioned teacher whose life is turned upside-down when he rescues a penguin in turbulent 1970s Argentina.
Cloud Cloud
Drama 2024 124 mins Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
An online scam leads to deadly consequences in Kurosawa Kiyoshi’s chilling tech thriller.
La Cocina La Cocina
Drama 2024 139 mins Director: Alonso Ruizpalacios
Tensions rise in a frenzied New York diner, in this loose reworking of Arnold Wesker’s 1957 play.
The Small World of Sammy Lee The Small World of Sammy Lee
Drama 1963 107 mins Director: Ken Hughes
Seedy Soho strip-club compere Sammy (Anthony Newley) races to escape the heavies who hunt him in this gritty, engrossing 1960s London thriller.
Simon Magus Simon Magus
Drama 2000 115 mins Director: Ben Hopkins
Noah Taylor (Game of Thrones) stars as an outcast accused of sorcery by his fellow 19th-century villagers, in Ben Hopkins' rich and haunting allegory.
The Bespoke Overcoat The Bespoke Overcoat
Fantasy 1955 38 mins Director: Jack Clayton
A clerk in a cold warehouse wants one of the warm sheepskin coats stacked around him.
The Wandering Jew The Wandering Jew
Fantasy 1934 102 mins Director: Maurice Elvey
After spitting on Christ on the way to crucifixion, a Jewish man is cursed with immortality
Suzie Gold Suzie Gold
Romance 2004 90 mins Director: Ric Cantor
Girl meets goy: a Jewish princess must decide between a Jew and a gentile in this light-hearted romantic comedy
A Kid for Two Farthings A Kid for Two Farthings
Comedy 1955 90 mins Director: Carol Reed
The adventures of a young boy who buys a small goat in the belief that it’s a unicorn that will be able to grant the wishes of him and his friends.
Suzie Gold Suzie Gold
Romance 2004 90 mins Director: Ric Cantor
Girl meets goy: a Jewish princess must decide between a Jew and a gentile in this light-hearted romantic comedy
Ismael's Ghosts Ismael's Ghosts
Drama 2017 135 mins Director: Arnaud Desplechin
Marion Cotillard, Mathieu Amalric and Charlotte Gainsbourg form a bizarre love triangle at the heart of Arnaud Desplechin's elaborate, playful comic-thriller.
Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom
Drama 2019 109 mins Director: Pawo Choyning Dorji
A city-loving teacher struggling for inspiration travels to the most remote school in the world in this quietly majestic Academy Award-nominated drama.
Parthenope Parthenope
Drama 2024 136 mins Director: Paolo Sorrentino
An alluring young woman seeks a deeper sense of purpose after a tragedy, in Paolo Sorrentino’s deeply romantic epic.
One to One: John & Yoko One to One: John & Yoko
Documentary 2024 101 mins Director: Kevin Macdonald
Kevin Macdonald’s essential record of the former Beatle’s final full-length performance is a fascinating portrait of two artists in a state of flux.
It's Raining Men It's Raining Men
Comedy 2023 123 mins Director: Caroline Vignal
Iris (Laure Calamy) disrupts her bourgeois routine by joining a dating app and embarking on an amusing, sensual quest for identity and lost desire.
A New Kind of Wilderness A New Kind of Wilderness
Documentary 2023 84 mins Director: Silje Evensmo Jacobsen
A tragedy shatters the idyllic world of a family living off-grid in the Norwegian wilderness.
Riefenstahl Riefenstahl
Documentary 2024 115 mins Director: Andreas Veiel
Captivating insight into the controversial filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, who became world-famous for her Nazi propaganda.