Sept en attente

An all night party in a building on the outskirts of Paris provides the setting of this provocative French meditation on life and waiting. As the title states, the film centers on seven main characters at the party. Each of them is privately waiting for something and all of them engage in conversations about the fundamental concerns of life, including love, sex, truth and responsibility. Among the seven are a pregnant woman waiting for her baby, a playboy, a gay man, and a young woman with poor taste in men. To make the film, director Francoise Etchegaray gave the actors a sense of who they were supposed to be and what they should do, placed them in a room, and let them improvise their dialog.

Directed by Françoise Etchegaray, Sept en attente leans on a strong ensemble — Clémentine Amouroux, Cécile Reigher, Serge Renko — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1996.