Arnaud Desplechin’s Two Pianos premiered took place on September 10, 2025, at the Toronto International Film Festival, co-written by Kamen Velkovsky. The story follows pianist Mathias Vogler, played by François Civil, who returns to Lyon to rehearse with his mentor, Elena. However, his journey stirs up old feelings when he reconnects with Claude, a past love, and discovers a boy who bears a resemblance to him.
Mathias Vogler — After several years teaching in Tokyo, he returns to Lyon at the request of his former mentor Elena (Rampling), a renowned piano virtuoso, to join her in what will be her farewell concert series She demands excellence. She is strict but caring; someone who shaped Mathias’s early life, played by Charlotte Rampling. Mathias’s former love, Claude, played by Nadia Tereszkiewicz. She was married to Pierre, who is no more.
Simon(Valentin Picard), Claude’s young son. Mathias sees something familiar in him. Simon becomes a mirror for what Mathias might have been, and maybe what he could still become.
Arnaud Desplechin’s feature debut, “La Sentinelle” (1992), The film follows a young medical student in Paris who uncovers a severed head in his luggage, dragging him into a thriller about post–Cold War paranoia.He followed it with “My Sex Life… or How I Got Into an Argument” (1996), and “Esther Kahn” (2000). His international recognition grew with “Kings and Queen” (2004), a dual narrative weaving together Amalric’s character, a troubled musician in a psychiatric hospital, and Emmanuelle Devos as a woman facing her father’s death. Then came A Christmas Tale (2008), one of his most praised films. It stars Catherine Deneuve, Mathieu Amalric, and Chiara Mastroianni. The story follows a messy family reunion during the holidays. It blends illness, old wounds, and sharp humor. The film shows the ups and downs of family life with honesty and heart. Many critics call it one of the top French films of the 2000s.