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One of the most important filmmakers France has ever produced, Jean Epstein was a film theorist, critic and a leading figure in the French Impressionist movement. Perhaps best known today for directing the first adaptation of The Fall of the House of Usher from a screenplay co-written with Luis Buñuel, Epstein produced several masterpieces during the silent period, including Faithful Heart (Coeur fidèle), The Three-Sided Mirror (La glace à trois faces) and Finis Terrae, the story of a group of fishermen stranded off the cost of Brittany.

Four fisherman set out on a three month expedition to the islet Bannec. They intend to harvest seaweed, which will fetch high prices if burned and processed properly – but cabin fever soon sets in. After two of the men brawl over a broken bottle of wine, one of them cuts his thumb on a piece of glass, while the other comes to suspect that his knife has been stolen with malicious intent. As the situation escalates, conditions at sea make it impossible for the men to leave Bannec or for help from the mainland to reach them.

An atmospheric maritime tale and a forerunner to such films as Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse and Mark Jenkin’s Bait, Finis Terrae is one of Jean Epstein’s finest achievements and an aesthetic triumph, particularly in its early and deeply effective use of slow motion cinematography. The Masters of Cinema series is honoured to present Finis Terrae on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK and North America, sourced from an astounding 4K restoration by Gaumont Film Company.

SPECIAL FEATURES
Limited Edition [2000 copies]
Limited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by John Dunn
Limited edition collector’s booklet featuring a new essay on Finis Terrae by Jean Epstein expert Christophe Wall-Romana and archival writing by the director
Finis Terrae presented in 1080p HD from a 4K restoration by Gaumont Film Company
Impressions on Jean Epstein – new interview with film historian and critic Pamela Hutchinson on the life and work of the director
Stranded – new video essay on Finis Terrae
The Bottom of the Wave – an archival appreciation of Finis Terrae by Joel Daire

omg wow! this is a blast from the past MOC announcement. maybe a Cœur fidele upgrade too?

A delightfully unexpected announcement, hopefully we can also expect Woman from the End of the World to be released sometime in the future since it was paired with this film on the original Gaumont Blu-Ray.

If I'm not mistaken, The Bottom of the Wave, which is an extra from the 2019 French Gaumont BD, actually is about La femme du bout du monde, not Finis Terrae. There is however a dedicated extra about Finis Terrae (called Reinventing cinema), so it might just be a mixup with the name of the extra.

This reminds me that the legendary coffret by Potemkine is still waiting for a blu-ray counterpart. If only MoC could do the same magic they did with Feuillade by the end of 2025...

Fabulous news! Another classic French title that already has a great Blu-ray. Keep ‘em coming.