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A bona-fide hit of the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, Joyeux Noel is a warming story about courage and dignity that touched three nations that went to war in 1914. On Christmas Eve in Northern France, officers and soldiers from Scotland, Germany and France, who fought each other from trenches barely 100 meters apart on a daily basis, put down their weapons and called a truce. It was an extraordinary act of human generosity and humility - and a true story.

Political leaders had promised the troops that the war would be resolved by Christmas - but it is now December, the chill of winter has set in and everyone can sense this will be a long conflict. For a brief time the Germans, Scots and French set aside thoughts of war to spend Christmas together sharing wine and food, playing football, exchanging photos and memories and taking time to bury the dead.

Anchored by an excellent international cast, Joyeux Noel eloquently depicts a period of brief respite from one of history's bloodiest conflicts with astonishing depth and deft sensibility. This profoundly emotive and inspiring film is marbled with bittersweet humour, bold gestures and remarkable kindness.

With a deep sense of compassion in its celebration of the way a shared humanity transcended the madness of war, Joyeux Noel is an elegant, European classic.

Director:

Christian Carion [3],

Starring:

Benno Furmann [9], Gary Lewis [12], Guillaume Canet [9], Diane Kruger [14], Daniel Bruhl [8], Dany Boon [4],

Screen Formats:

Widescreen 2.35:1

Subtitles:

English

Language and Sound:

English 5.1 Dolby Digital
French 5.1 Dolby Digital
German 5.1 Dolby Digital

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