Months after it was released in the UK and the USA, Australia finally has a release date for the film Widow Clicquot, the British film about the Grande Dame de Champagne. That date isn’t until next year, however you can see the film even sooner at preview event screenings this week!
Based on the true story of the “Grande Dame of Champagne,” Widow Clicquot follows Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin (1777–1866) who, at the age of 20, became Madame Clicquot after marrying poetic, unconventional François, the heir of a winemaking family. Becoming a Veuve (the French word for widow) at age 27, she is determined to protect her family’s legacy and boldly challenge the men — as well as the state — set on stripping her of her vineyards.
Determined to advance her husband’s theories about soil chemistry, the configuring of vines, and revolutionary techniques in bottling, Barbe-Nicole wagers on the next harvest and her own blend of sparkling wine. Challenged by the irregularity of the seasons, the aggressive competitor Monsieur Moët, and the Napoleonic Code of 1804 barring women from running businesses, the elegant and luminous widow must succeed or lose everything.
Telling the tale in retrospect and reflection over a 10-year span from approximately 1797 to 1807, director Thomas Napper entwines a sparkling story of flourishing female entrepreneurship with an account of doomed lovers whose legacy reverberates in the bubbles. A rousing toast to the perseverance of unshakeable women.
Widow Clicquot will be released in Australian cinemas on 6 February 2025. Ahead of then though it is part of the British Film Festival this November and December. Some cities are holding preview event screenings for the film Wednesday, 30 October. These include Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney.
Ballarat and Perth are also holding the British Film Festival, and screening the film, but there are no preview screenings for the film planned other than those during the festival dates.
KEY INFO FOR WIDOW CLICQUOT
WHAT: Widow Clicquot, a film based on the book of the same title about the Widow Clicquot or as she is known in French, Veuve Clicquot, the famous widow behind the famous champagne house.
WHEN: Preview event screenings are happening on Wednesday 30 October. It is also on at various dates in November 2024 as part of the British Film Festival.
WHERE: The British Film Festival is held in Adelaide, Ballarat, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.
HOW: Purchase your ticket to see Widow Clicquot at either the preview event or the screenings during the British Film Festival via this link
Tickets for the Adelaide preview event need to be purchased directly from Palace Nova cinemas either via their website or in person
HOW MUCH: Ticket prices depend on whether you choose the preview event or a standard festival screening.
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Do you know the story of Widow Clicquot? Did you realise that’s what Veuve Clicquot means?
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