Léa Seydoux Gets American Cinematheque Retrospective in Los Angeles

The American Cinematheque will host a four-film retrospective of Léa Seydoux's work in Los Angeles from Thursday, November 12 through Sunday, November 15. The French actor will appear in person for a conversation with filmmaker Marie Kreutzer after a screening of Netflix's "Gentle Monster." Tickets are available now on the American Cinematheque's website.

The series spans two decades of Seydoux's career. She built that career across independent cinema and major studio productions. She starred in "Blue Is the Warmest Color," the Abdellatif Kechiche drama that won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, and in Denis Villeneuve's "Dune" films. She also appeared in two James Bond films.

The retrospective includes four titles:

• Gentle Monster — directed by Marie Kreutzer, with a Q&A featuring Kreutzer and Seydoux. Friday, November 13 at 7:30 p.m., Aero Theatre. The screening is free and open to members only.
• One Fine Morning — directed by Mia Hansen-Løve. Thursday, November 12 at 7:00 p.m., Los Feliz 3.
• Blue Is the Warmest Color — directed by Abdellatif Kechiche. Saturday, November 14 at 2:30 p.m., Egyptian Theatre.
• The Beast — directed by Bertrand Bonello. Sunday, November 15 at 9:30 p.m., Los Feliz 3.

"Gentle Monster" carries the heaviest subject matter of the four. Seydoux stars as Lucy, a wife and mother reeling from the revelation that her partner is involved in a ring producing child sex abuse materials. Lucy is a renowned pianist. The story follows her as she confronts what the film frames as the complexities of love, trust and deception. According to the program description, Lucy moves to the countryside hoping for a fresh start with her family — but a police visit and her husband's dark secret shatter her world.

What does this change for Los Angeles filmgoers?

It gives audiences a rare chance to see Seydoux's range in a single week, across four directors and four distinct registers of contemporary French and European cinema. The in-person conversation on November 13 is the only appearance by the star in the series.

The American Cinematheque, a member-supported nonprofit cultural arts organization, has supported the movie-going experience since 1985. It showcases over 2,000 films per year. Last year it hosted retrospective series for Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet and Michael B. Jordan, who went on to win the best actor Oscar.

The inclusion of "Gentle Monster" in the lineup, paired with a Netflix release and a live Q&A, signals the Cinematheque's ongoing role as a venue where streaming-era titles sit alongside Palme d'Or winners on a repertory schedule.