Roland Joffé

  • Roland Joffé – Vatel (2000)

    1991-2000ArthouseDramaFranceRoland Joffé

    In 1671, with war brewing with Holland, a penniless prince invites Louis XIV to three days of festivities at a chateau in Chantilly. The prince wants a commission as a general, so the extravagances are to impress the king. In charge of all is the steward, Vatel, a man of honor, talent, and low birth. The prince is craven in his longing for stature: no task is too menial or dishonorable for him to give Vatel. While Vatel tries to sustain dignity, he finds himself attracted to Anne de Montausier, the king’s newest mistress. In Vatel, she finds someone who’s authentic, living out his principles within
    the casual cruelties of court politics. Can the two of them escape unscathed?Read More »

  • Roland Joffé – Play for Today: The Spongers (1978)

    1971-1980DramaRoland JofféThe Wednesday Play & Play for TodayTVUnited Kingdom

    Set against the backdrop of Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II, the play depicts a single mother’s struggles in this highly polemical and unremittingly bleak diatribe against government welfare cuts from the poor and disabled. The derogatory term ‘spongers’ is used by British tabloid press to describe people who are dependent on welfare support, however the play presents the case of a family who desperately need the help.Read More »

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