What can the past tell us about the future?

Synopsis

A group of strangers, all descendants of a woman named Adèle Meunier, are gathered in Normandy. The town would like to purchase her long-abandoned property, and four “cousins” are tasked with overseeing the transaction. Thus begins a genealogical journey into the past, taking us to 1895 Paris, with the City of Light on the brink of an industrial and cultural revolution. Aptly entitled “The Coming of the Future” in French, Colors of Time literally plunges us into a moment in time when Parisian creativity is at its apex… when not only electricity and technology, but photography and Impressionism in painting and music are creating a spark that’s about to erupt into a movement far beyond anyone’s expectations. Cédric Klapisch‘s endearing new comedy is nothing less than a soul-stirring, time-traveling – at times, hallucinogenic – trip for lovers of the arts everywhere.

Colors of Time (La Venue de l’avenir) is 2 hours 6 minutes long and in French with English subtitles. This film is not rated.

Trailer

Reviews

Variety (Jessica Kiang): Colours of Time Review – Cédric Klapisch’s Genial, ​Dual​-Timeline Crowdpleaser​ About Art and Ancestry

The Guardian (Peter Bradshaw): Colours of Time review – Monet meets Mamma Mia in charming French artist comedy

Time Out (Phil de Semlyen): Review – Colours of Time – Modern-day France and the Belle Époque elide in Cédric Klapisch’s heartwarming answer to ‘Midnight in Paris’

Awards and Festivals

• 2025 The American French Film Festival – Audience Award
• 2026 Rendez-Vous with French Cinema – Audience Award
• 2026 Nantucket Film Festival – Audience Award for Narrative Feature
• 2026 Three César Award nominations – Best Female Revelation, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design
• 2025 Seville European Film Festival – Nominated for the Golden Giraldillo for Best Film