The Ideal Palace

The Story

The story begins in the South of France in 1879. Ferdinand Cheval is a reserved and quiet man. A rural postman, he enjoys the solitude of his 20-mile rounds, daydreaming about a world full of wonder and beauty that he can only glimpse through postcards and magazines. After the birth of Alice, his daughter, he has a revelation: he will build a palace to turn her into a princess. With no architectural background, driven by his love for Alice and the unconditional support of his wife, Philomène, Ferdinand Cheval will turn his vision into a reality with his bare hands, dedicating 33 challenging years to the construction of the Ideal Palace, which was classified as a historical monument in 1969 and is considered to be the first cultural landmark of native art.

Rating

PG

Duration

105 min

Cast

Jacques Gamblin, Laetitia Casta, Florence Thomassin, Natacha Lindinger, Zelie Rixhon, Eric Savin, Aurélien Wiik

Director

Nils Tavernier