HEAVEN CAN WAIT

Henry Van Cleve's ghost arrives at the gates of the underworld and invites the more genteel-looking devil in the history of film to listen to his life's deeds - great and small. Not that there is a lot of the former, as Henry's life was invariably given to skirt-chasing and now it is a little bit late to start pondering on any deep philosophical questions. In his attempt to convince the Dark Lord that he had been lewd enough to enter his realm, Henry recounts his tales of sexual mischief, starting from the tender age of 15. "Heaven Can Wait" was Lubitsch's first attempt at Technicolor which he uses to underline the passage of time. And if he chooses to tell such a light tale in a film that, in many respects, represents his cinematic last will and testament, he definitely has his reasons; for behind the Henry Van Cleve mask, it is Lubitsch himself discussing with the devil.

Ιn collaboration with Locarno International Film Festival and the French Cinematheque