Contemplative ruralism, absurd humor and philosophical undertones: these are the author's hallmarks by the Frenchman Bruno Dumont since his debut in 1997 with The life of Jesus and gained a reputation as an unclassifiable and often controversial filmmaker. Despite his recognizable style, Dumont likes to reinvent himself, whether by making a miniseries or P'tit Quinquin or playing with the musical in Jeannette, the childhood of Joan of Arc. With The empire, winner of the Jury Prize at the 2024 Berlin Film Festival, aims to create an epic science fiction work.