Changer l’eau des fleurs, Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s latest film, will hit theaters on December 9, 2026. This adaptation of Valérie Perrin’s novel casts Leïla Bekhti as Violette Toussaint, flanked by Matthias Schoenaerts, Melvil Poupaud, Anouk Grinberg and Sergio Castellitto. After its world premiere at the Angoulême Francophone Film Festival, the movie now unveils its first teaser.
Published in 2018 and sold in over three million copies worldwide, Changer l’eau des fleurs follows Violette Toussaint, a woman in her forties who works as a cemetery caretaker in a small town in Burgundy. From her lodge, she greets visitors, lends an ear to their confessions, and offers a measure of comfort, all while concealing the scars of her own past.
Her ordinary life is upended by the arrival of Julien Seul, a police officer who comes to lay his mother’s ashes on the grave of the man she loved. Intrigued by Violette’s story and the inexplicable disappearance of her husband, he decides to investigate. His inquiries gradually unearth painful memories and truths that could help Violette reclaim her life.
The screenplay is by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Guillaume Laurant, long-time collaborators who had already teamed up on The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain. The film preserves the novel’s structure, weaving between the present, memories and revelations, and centers on themes of grief, solitude, and rebuilding.
Matthias Schoenaerts stars as Violette's husband, while Melvil Poupaud portrays Julien Seul. The cast also includes Alban Lenoir, Philippe Uchan, Clotilde Mollet, Natacha Lindinger, Claire Nadeau, Bruno Lochet and Philippe Rebbot. The young Elodie Batard Gaultier plays Léonine.
Produced by Palomar and 24 25 Films, two companies within the Mediawan group, with the involvement of France Télévisions, Canal+ and Netflix, Changer l’eau des fleurs continues the narrative of a novel that has also enjoyed a stage adaptation.
To extend your in-theater experience, check out the films to see in cinemas this December, the films to see right now, and our pick of the year's most anticipated dramas.
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