Storyline

Part morality tale, part keen political thriller, and a vivid portrait of our current moment, The World of Yesterday is set in modern France yet the issues also reflect America's fractured politics. Léa Drucker plays the French president, who has decided to step down and has thrown her support to a successor, but a potential scandal could toss the upcoming election to a right-wing demagogue (Thierry Godard). "If France falls, so does Europe," warns the president's canny adviser, the Secretary-General (Denis Podalydès). With only three days to act, the only apparent course of action is unthinkable. Or is it? And the president has another secret weighing her down. Drucker makes us really feel the all-consuming force of no-win politics. Directed by Diastème, the film poses many timely questions,, especially "What happens when state secrets are personal?"—Filmfest DC