Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the respected filmmaker, has finally returned to the big screen after his lengthy hiatus with his new movie, Violette. Focusing on the themes of loss, remembrance, and most importantly, the unexpected chance of experiencing happiness after a personal tragedy, Jeunet shares with the audience a heartfelt drama.
Written by the acclaimed French actress Valérie Perrin, and based on her best-selling novel, Changer l'eau des fleurs, which was published internationally as Fresh Water for Flowers, the movie stars Leïla Bekhti as Violette Toussaint, a caretaker for a cemetery in the rural region of Burgundy, France.
Also featured in the movie is Matthias Schoenaerts, and together they blend elements of a mystery with sensitivity as they explore the numerous layers of human relationships.
Violette has its theatrical release in France on December 9, 2026, courtesy of StudioCanal, and will be shown at film festivals prior to its release.
What Is Violette About?
The story is centered on Violette Toussaint, who is responsible for the care of a cemetery in a Burgundy village, and how she interacts with the community and their relatives' graves.
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Because of her welcoming nature, she develops a special bond with the community, providing a shoulder to cry on for the relatives who come to visit the graves.
Although she is welcoming, she still maintains a difficult past of her own.
A unexpected turn in her peaceful life happens with the arrival of a new police chief, and his unusual request of her.
This request begins to unearth the secrets regarding her past.
As the secrets are revealed, so are her experiences that she has buried and hidden.
Keeping with the tone of the movie, the secrets of Violette's past are explored with drama and suspense, as well as hints of personal reflection and inner-turmoil.
Leïla Bekhti plays Violette Toussaint, the character whose life connects the different relationships and mysteries in the film.
Bekhti has performed in several French films, such as All That Glitters and The Source.
The compassion in her character towards others is in stark contrast to the protective nature in which she guards her own past, creating the main focus of the developing tension.
The ensemble cast includes Schoenaerts, Poupaud, Lenoir, Grinberg, Castellitto and Pinon.
The community focused on memories, relationships, and shared experiences is shown through the ensemble cast.
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StudioCanal is the main distributor connected with the French theatrical release.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet is internationally known for his unique style of filmmaking.
Some of his earlier films include Delicatessen, The City of Lost Children, Amélie, and A Very Long Engagement.
He uses a combination of atypical characters with unique, original settings to create his films.
In Violette, he adapts a different style of storytelling that centers around reality rather than fantasy.
Jeunet and Laurant worked on the screenplay together, based on their previous collaboration on the Amélie screenplay.
The film was shot in France in 2025, including the Burgundy region.
The locations help shape the setting that reflects the character's emotions.
The Literary Source
The book that the film is based on is divided into four parts, each told from a different perspective. The film follows these same structure and perspectives.
In the book, more is revealed regarding the background characters and situations, which are left largely ambiguous in the film.
Valérie Perrin's Changer l'eau des fleurs became internationally successful following its initial release in French.
The novel draws in readers by interweaving personal relationships with unwritten or obscured histories, and reflects on mourning.
The main character is a cemetery caretaker who has meaningful relationships with visitors and maintains the cemetery.
The book organizes Violette's life by events and by memorialization.
Adaptation of such a narrative calls for careful decisions about the order of memories and recollections.
Jeunet's adaptation, for the most part, stays true to the cemetery caretaker and the police investigation that changes her life.
Although, audiences should not assume the film shows all the events of the novel in order.
One of the most notable things about the movie is that literary narration is converted to theatrical narration with performances, visuals and environments, and dramatic scenes.
One of Violette's major themes is grappling with grief and renewing one's self.
A cemetery is a place where memories remain important, but one continues on with daily life.
Violette meets and interacts with a variety of people who have different kinds of loss, and reflect on their stories in order to reflect on her.
Her regular, orderly life is disrupted with the arrival of a police chief.
The developing mystery takes on the theme of doing the same.
The movie is essentially a drama, and fits into the genre of crime movies.
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Information about legal or authorized distribution and release should be provided by StudioCanal and its distribution partners.
International Release Date
Violette will open theatrically in France on December 9, 2026.
It has been seen on the festival circuit, most recently at the 2026 Zurich Film Festival.
Additional showings are scheduled in the coming months on the European festival circuit.
Distribution has been split into regional partnerships. Release dates vary from one region to the next.
A worldwide release date for streaming is not known.
Personal mystery and an emotional performance are at the center of this film.
Through Violette's journey, the film shows how one remembers while providing subtle ways to move on.
With Jeunet at the helm and Bekhti bringing the lead performance, Violette extends the already ample territory covered by the best-selling novel.