That Obscure Object of Desire

Friday, March 20 - Sunday, March 22, 2020

THAT OBSCURE OBJECT OF DESIRE was originally scheduled to screen Fri Mar 20 – Sun Mar 22 in the Winter 2020 season of “Weekend Classics: Luis Buñuel,” but the screenings have been canceled due to the unexpected closure of the theater on March 14, in order to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

35mm Print!

As terrorists bomb Seville, worldly Mathieu Faber (Fernando Rey) boards the Paris train, promptly dumping a bucket of water on a young woman trying to board. As his fellow passengers look on aghast, Faber proceeds to explain “the worst of all women.” Faber’s encounter with his maid Conchita (Carole Bouquet, Angela Molina), who will never allow him to consummate his passion, is made doubly bizarre by Buñuel’s matter of fact casting of two actresses; and by the lack of reaction from Faber and the rest of the cast to their seeming interchangeability.

Screening as part of our Winter 2020 series, “Weekend Classics: Luis Buñuel.”


  • Country France/Spain
  • Language In French with English subtitles.
  • Year 1977
  • Running Time 103 minutes
  • Distributor Rialto
  • Director Luis Buñuel
  • Writer Luis Buñuel, Jean-Claude Carriere
  • Cinematographer Edmond Richard
  • Cast Fernando Rey, Carole Bouquet, Angela Molina
  • Accessibility Assistive Listening, T-Coil

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.