Jean de Florette
“For some men, land and water are more precious than flesh and blood.”
In a rural French village, an old man and his only remaining relative cast their covetous eyes on an adjoining vacant property. They need its spring water for growing their flowers, and are dismayed to hear that the man who has inherited it is moving in. They block up the spring and watch as their new neighbour tries to keep his crops watered from wells far afield through the hot summer. Though they see his desperate efforts are breaking his health and his wife and daughter's hearts, they think only of getting the water.
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Part of The Water of the Hills Collection
2 films
Cast
22 people
Yves Montand
César Soubeyran, aka 'le Papet'
Known for
The Wages of Fear
Z
Gérard Depardieu
Jean Cadoret, hunchback, son of Florette
Known for
Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra
1492: Conquest of Paradise
Daniel Auteuil
Ugolin Soubeyran, nephew of Papet
Known for
Caché
La Belle Époque
Elisabeth Depardieu
Aimée Cadoret, wife of Jean
Also in
La Rivière Espérance
This Is My Body
Margarita Lozano
Baptistine, Piedmontese of the cave
Known for
A Fistful of Dollars
Viridiana
Ernestine Mazurowna
Manon Cadoret, daughter of Jean & Aimée
No other roles listed
Armand Meffre
Philoxène, mayor
Also in
I Believe in Santa Claus
Le Combat dans l'île
André Dupon
Pamphile, joiner
Also in
English Education
Moonlight
Pierre Nougaro
Casimir
Known for
Masks
Jean Maurel
Anglade, believer
Also in
My Mother's Castle
The Castle of Olive Trees
Roger Souza
Ange, hydrant man
Known for
The Vanishing
Fanny
Didier Pain
Eliacin
Known for
The Visitors
My Father's Glory
Claude Berri Director · Gérard Brach Screenplay Marcel Pagnol Author
Worldwide gross $87M · Budget $4.9M · United States release June 26, 1987
Box office
Budget
$4,940,939
Worldwide gross
$87,000,000
Gross vs. budget
17.6×
Production
DD Productions
Production
Films A2
Production
Renn Productions
Production
Antenne 2
Production
AMLF
Production
RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana
Production
Télévision Suisse-Romande
Production
France · Italy · Switzerland
Produced in
Languages
Original language
French
Spoken on screen
French · Italian
Release dates
France · August 27, 1986
Theatrical
United States · June 26, 1987
Limited theatrical · New York City, New York
United States
August 27, 1987 · Theatrical
Australia
October 29, 1987 · Theatrical
Belgium
November 27, 1986 · Limited theatrical · Gent
Brazil
September 2, 2015 · Physical · DVD
Denmark
September 4, 1987 · Theatrical
Finland
September 23, 1988 · Theatrical
France
September 25, 1991 · Physical · VHS
June 9, 1999 · Physical · DVD
December 3, 2008 · Physical · Blu-Ray
August 26, 2017 · Digital · VOD
September 13, 2017 · Theatrical · Re-release
February 1, 2022 · Digital · Netflix
September 23, 2022 · Digital · Disney+
September 1, 2026 · TV · Paris Première
Germany
September 3, 1987 · Theatrical · West Germany
Hungary
February 14, 1991 · Theatrical
Ireland
April 29, 1988 · Theatrical
Italy
May 6, 1988 · Theatrical
Japan
April 23, 1988 · Theatrical
Netherlands
March 17, 1988 · Theatrical
December 5, 2002 · Physical · DVD
September 1, 2011 · Physical · Blu ray
Norway
December 26, 1986 · Theatrical
Poland
October 21, 2016 · TV
Portugal
April 29, 1988 · Theatrical
Russia
July 1, 1987 · Premiere · Moscow Film Festival
Singapore
May 9, 2021 · Physical · DVD
South Korea
January 1, 1992 · Theatrical
Spain
February 5, 1988 · Theatrical
Sweden
September 11, 1987 · Theatrical
Switzerland
September 9, 1986 · Theatrical
Taiwan
October 17, 2026 · Premiere · Kaohsiung Film Festival (4K Restoration)
United Kingdom
June 17, 1987 · Limited theatrical · London
June 4, 1999 · Theatrical · Re-release
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