Film Festival at the Louvre: “From David to Kubrick” or When the Revolution and the Empire come to the big screen

The Musée du Louvre devotes an exceptional festival to the dialogue between painting and cinema. A historic journey to the heart of Paris.

A dialogue between art and history

The Musée du Louvre celebrates the power of historical narrative with the “From David to Kubrick” festival, from October 17 to 26, 2025. The event follows on from the exhibition dedicated to Jacques-Louis David, the emblematic painter of the French Revolution and the First Empire. The festival explores the links between painting and cinema, two arts that have shaped the way we look at history. By revisiting the figure of Napoleon, the ideals of freedom and the birth of a modern France, the Louvre invites the public to reflect on how images – whether painted or filmed – nourish our collective memory.

A rich, cinephile program

The program opens with Stanley Kubrick‘s Barry Lyndon, a masterly film about the rise and fall of a man in 18th-century Europe. This inaugural screening will be followed by a discussion with guests from the world of cinema and art history. Audiences will also be able to (re)discover major works such as Jean Renoir‘s La Marseillaise,Ettore Scola ‘s La Nuit de Varennes andÉric Rohmer‘s L’Anglaise et le Duc, a film shot in digital paint. A special tribute will be paid to Abel Gance with the restored screening of his monumental film Napoléon, a masterpiece of the silent era. Each screening illustrates in its own way the way in which cinema has told the story of the Revolution and Empire, between historical truth and artistic interpretation.

Practical information for spectators

Screenings will take place in theAuditorium Michel-Laclotte, inside the Musée du Louvre. The festival will run for ten days, with evening screenings and several conferences led by historians, critics and filmmakers. Prices range from 5 to 10 euros, with discounts for young people and students. Access is via the Louvre Pyramid, in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. The Palais-Royal Musée du Louvre and Châtelet-Les Halles metro stations provide easy access. For those wishing to extend the experience, the Jacques-Louis David exhibition is also on at the museum throughout the autumn.

The festival promises to be a major cultural event, where cinema and painting come together to tell the story of the Revolution and Empire, through the eyes of Jacques-Louis David and Stanley Kubrick.

Dates: October 17 to 26, 2025
Venue: Auditorium Michel-Laclotte, inside the Musée du Louvre 75001 Paris
Access: entrance via the Louvre Pyramid
Metro: lines 1 and 7, Palais-Royal Musée du Louvre station; RER A or B to Châtelet-Les Halles
Schedule: evening screenings, some followed by debates and meetings

Rates:

• Full price: €10
• Reduced rate: €7
• Young people, students and solidarity beneficiaries: €5

Festival duration: 10 days
Ticketing: available on the Louvre website or on site (subject to availability)
Language of films: original versions with French subtitles
Tip: come 30 minutes before screening for screening and free seating.

Other art-related outings in October