The Guermantes' Place

In the summer of 2020, Paris ended the first wave of epidemic lockdown. The troupe is rehearsing a new play adapted from Proust's novel "Yonder Guermantes" at the theater on the Champs Elysées. Unexpectedly, rumors of cancellation of the performance spread widely, and there were different opinions on whether to continue rehearsing the show. Some people are worried about not being able to maintain social distance, some are worried about missing the next show, and some are relieved that the show has been cancelled. At the director's insistence on rehearsing the play, the actors half-heartedly resumed their costumes. Without the pressure of performing, they felt at ease and rehearsed independently day and night. The lines, expressions, and movement exercises in the play are inadvertently integrated with the actors' off-screen life. Proust’s recollections of the past seem to echo various moods disrupted by the epidemic. Anxiety and fear, loneliness and longing quietly take shape in the shots and dialogues. It is difficult to tell whether they are the passing years in the play or the time lost due to epidemic prevention outside the play. Regardless of whether the show is canceled or not, everyone decided to try their best to enjoy the joy of getting together to rehearse the show.