Jean Epstein’s Finis Terrae Getting Masters Of Cinema Release

Eureka Entertainment are one of the best distributors of classic silent film. In August they will release visionary filmmaker Jean Epstein’s timeless 1929 masterpiece, Finis Terrae.

Set for release on Blu-ray for the very first time in the UK, North America, 4K restoration, and part of the Masters of Cinema Series. 

One of the most important filmmakers has ever produced, Jean Epstein was a film theorist, critic and a leading figure in the French Impressionist movement. Perhaps best known today for directing the first adaptation of The Fall of the House of Usher from a screenplay co-written with Luis Buñuel, Epstein produced several masterpieces during the silent period, including Faithful Heart (Coeur fidèle), The Three-Sided Mirror (La glace à trois faces) and Finis Terrae, the story of a group of fishermen stranded off the cost of Brittany.

Four fisherman set out on a three month expedition to the islet Bannec. They intend to harvest seaweed, which will fetch high prices if burned and processed properly – but cabin fever soon sets in. After two of the men brawl over a broken bottle of wine, one of them cuts his thumb on a piece of glass, while the other comes to suspect that his knife has been stolen with malicious intent. As the situation escalates, conditions at sea make it impossible for the men to leave Bannec or for help from the mainland to reach them.

An atmospheric maritime tale and a forerunner to such films as Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse and Mark Jenkin’s Bait, Finis Terrae is one of Jean Epstein’s finest achievements and an aesthetic triumph, particularly in its early and deeply effective use of slow motion cinematography.

Watch the newly created Trailer from Eureka Entertainment for this release…

“Epstein’s ability to capture the life of the sea is unparalleled” – Silent London

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES:
Limited Edition of 2,000 copies | Limited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by John Dunn | Limited edition collector’s booklet featuring a new essay on Finis Terrae by Jean Epstein expert Christophe Wall-Romana and archival writing by the director | Finis Terrae presented in 1080p HD from a 4K restoration by Gaumont Film Company | Optional English subtitles | Impressions on Jean Epstein – new interview with film historian and critic Pamela Hutchinson on the life and work of the director | Stranded – new video essay on Finis Terrae | The Bottom of the Wave – an archival appreciation of Finis Terrae by Joel Daire | All extras subject to change

| 1929 | TBA | 81 MINS | 1.33:1 OAR | DRAMA | SILENT(FRENCH INTERTITLES)

Finis Terrae will be released on Blu-ray as part of the The Masters Of Cinema range from 11th August in the UK and Ireland, with North America on 12th August.