A BEAUTIFUL IMPERFECTION to open Film by the Sea Festival

On Septeber 6th, he 26th edition of Film by the Sea will open with A Beautiful Imperfection, the first English-language film by Michiel van Erp. The film is based on the eponymous 2003 bestseller by Arthur Japin, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ursula Rani Sarma. Currently, A Beautiful Imperfection is in its 71st print and, with a total of 17 translations, the book is also an international phenomenon. The leading roles in A Beautiful Imperfection are played by Dar Zuzovsky, Jonah Hauer-King, Sam Hazeldine, and Maarten Heijmans.

A Beautiful Imperfection tells the compelling story of Lucia, the first and greatest love of the world’s most renowned charmer, Giacomo Casanova. After an enchanting encounter in Italy, the two pledge eternal fidelity to each other while awaiting Casanova’s return from a business trip. But then Lucia contracts smallpox and isolates herself from her beloved and the outside world. Sixteen years later, having reinvented herself as the mysterious and veiled courtesan Galathée, they meet again in Amsterdam. Without revealing her face, Lucia and Casanova fall for each other once more. As their love rekindles, Lucia must make a decision; will she dare to remove her mask and reveal her true identity?

“We are extremely pleased and proud to open our festival this year with the long-awaited film adaptation of Arthur Japin’s eponymous bestseller,” said festival director Jan Doense. “A Beautiful Imperfection is an ambitious film of international stature and, as a book adaptation, it is perfectly suited for Film by the Sea: the festival where film and literature converge.”

A Beautiful Imperfection (Dutch title Een Schitterend Gebrek) will be released in Dutch cinemas on September 12th.