Irma Vep (1996) | Maggie Cheung sexy jewel thief steals again in 2k

Olivier Assayas' offbeat French drama starring Hong Kong movie star Maggie Cheung gets a director approved 2k restoration from Arrow Academy

French filmmaker René Vidal (Jean-Pierre Léaud) is commissioned by a TV company to direct a remake of a classic silent-era serial. Maggie Cheung (playing a version of herself) is cast in the central role and heads to Paris for filming – where she finds herself amid the chaos of artistic differences, petty rivalries and the immense egos which make up a film set…

Ten years after his debut feature Disorder, French director Olivier Assayas turned his attentions to the French film industry for his sixth picture. Written in 10 days, and shot in less than a month, Irma Vep is Assayas at his most playful – simultaneously a gently satirical dig at the state of French cinema and a love letter to his female star.

Arrow Academy presents Assayas’ classic in a stunning 2K restoration from the original negative, supervised and approved by the director himself. This edition (which is released on Monday 7 May 2018) also comes with a host of special features offering in-depth insights into the film.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS • High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation, with original 2.0 Stereo DTS-HD Master Audio, and optional English subtitles • Audio commentary by Olivier Assayas and critic Jean-Michel Frodon • On the Set of Irma Vep: Behind-the-scenes featurette with optional commentary by Assayas and Frodon (30min) • Interviews with Assayas, critic Charles Tesson and actors Maggie Cheung and Nathalie Richard • Man Yuk: A Portrait of Maggie Cheung, a 1997 short film by Assayas • Black and white rushes Theatrical Trailer • Newly commissioned artwork by Peter Strain • Collector’s booklet (first pressing only)