Project Detail

Tess

Synopsis

Roman Polanski’s gorgeous, sweeping version of Thomas Hardy’s classic novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles returns in a glorious new digital restoration.
A rural clergyman in 19th Century England tells Durbeyfield, a simple farmer, that he is descended from the illustrious d'Urberville family - now extinct. Or maybe not. Durbeyfield sends his daughter,Tess, to check on a family named d'Urberville living in a manor house less than a day's carriage ride away. Alec d'Urberville is delighted to meet his beautiful 'cousin' and seduces her with strawberries and roses. Actually Alec has gotten his illustrious name and coat of arms by purchasing them. Tess too takes up the game of illusion when she finds, loses and finds again her true love, Angel.

Details

Year
1979
Type of project
Features
Running time
186 mins
Format
35mm, 4K Digital Restoration
Director
Roman Polanski
Producer
Claude Berri
Co-Producer
Timothy Burrill
Executive Producer
Pierre Grunstein
Editor
Alastair McIntyre, Tom Priestley
Screenwriter
Gérard Brach, Roman Polanski, John Brownjohn
Director of Photography
Ghislain Cloquet, Geoffrey Unsworth
Production Designer
Pierre Guffroy
Composer
Philippe Sarde
Principal cast
John Collin, Tony Church, Nastassia Kinski

Categories

Production Status

Production Company

Renn Productions

Timothy Burrill Productions

Sales Company

Pathe

6 Ramillies Street
London
W1F 7TY
UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 7323 5151
Fax: +44 (0)20 631 3568

Page updates

This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.

See also

You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.

Oliver Twist Oliver Twist

Director: Roman Polanski

Year: 2005

Set in 1848, Oliver Twist is the story of an orphan, born in a workhouse and brought up in harsh and cruel conditions, half-starved by the corrupt parish authorities. He is unlucky enough to be chosen to ask for more gruel and is immediately found employment in an undertaker’s establishment where he is treated quite as badly as he was in the workhouse. He escapes and makes his way to London where he falls in with the Artful Dodger, a boy of his own age, who introduces him to the villainous Fagin. Fagin runs a gang of boys who are pickpockets and thieves, and whose associates are Bill Sykes, a violent criminal, and his girlfriend, Nancy.   Oliver is caught up in a series of misadventures in which he is wrongly accused of thieving, is taken in by Mr Brownlow, a kindly benefactor, and is recaptured by Fagin. Forced to take part in a robbery with Bill Sykes, Oliver is saved by the humanity of Nancy who betrays her former friends. Bill Sykes murders her and is himself eventually trapped but dies before he can be arrested. Oliver is taken in by Mr Brownlow and given the promise of a better life.

Lord of the Flies Lord of the Flies

Director: Marc Munden

Year: 2026

Adapted from the 1954 novel by William Golding, the story of a group of young schoolboys who find themselves stranded on a Pacific island following a deadly plane crash during a nuclear war. In an attempt to remain civil, the boys organise themselves, led by Ralph and supported by the group’s intellectual, Piggy. But as the youngest members begin to share sightings of a terrifying beast, hunter Jack begins to wrestle for leadership. Jack Thorne’s adaptation marks the first time 'Lord of the Flies' has been brought to television. Faithful to the original novel, the series delves further into the book’s emotive themes: human nature, the loss of innocence and boyhood masculinity. Each of the four episodes is titled after a character at the core of the story – Ralph, Piggy, Simon and Jack – offering a subtly different perspective on the boys’ collective plight and manner in which they cope with their predicament. Official Selection Berlin International Film Festival 2026 - Berlinale Special Series - International premiere

Yön Lapsi (Nightborn) Yön Lapsi (Nightborn)

Director: Hanna Bergholm

Year: 2026

With dreams of starting a perfect family, Saga and her British husband Jon move to the isolated house deep in the Finnish forest where Saga spent much of her childhood. But as soon as their baby is born, despite the reassurances of everyone around her, Saga knows something is terribly wrong. As their marriage starts to crack and Jon struggles to support his wife, only Saga suspects the disturbing truth about their newborn child. Official Selection Berlin International Film Festival 2026 - Competition - World premiere