The Ideal Palace

7 yrs 105 minutes • 2018 • 7.1

Southern France 1879. Ferdinand Cheval is a quiet country postman who almost nobody take notice to. During his mile-long rounds, he dreams of a world full of beautiful landscapes and buildings that he has only seen on the postcards he hands out. During one of the rounds, he meets the widow Philomène, and when they get their daughter Alice he finally knows what to do with his simple life. He will build a large palace for her. All by himself. The film is based on a true story and Cheval's palace can still be visited in Hauterives, France. "Tavernier's film is a broad fresco, conventionally styled but strikingly beautiful - visually, the actors and even the content," writes Sydsvenskans Annika Gustafsson.