Auguste Rodin

Paris, 1880. The sculptor Auguste Rodin (Vincent Lindon), who is as scandalous as he is successful, believes he has reached the goal of his dreams. At the age of 40, he received his first state commission: 'The Gates of Hell', inspired by Dante's 'Divine Comedy', was to decorate the entrance to the new Museum of Decorative Arts in the Louvre in Paris as a bronze portal. Six metres high and four metres wide, the gigantic high relief is made up of individual sculptures that would later become so famous as 'The Thinker' and 'The Kiss', an all-devouring work that becomes Rodin's life's work. A phase of manic creation begins, which is made even more intense by Rodin's encounter with the highly talented Camille Claudel (Izïa Higelin), 24 years his junior. For more than a decade, his student is also his lover, a relationship between two geniuses that is as passionate as it is turbulent. Because Camille is an emancipated woman, Rodin is absolutely equal in terms of craftsmanship and - just like Rodin - far ahead of her time. However, the genius denied her recognition for these qualities throughout his life. The fact that she has to share it not only with his partner, the farmer's daughter Rose Beuret (Séverine Caneele), but also with numerous other affairs, ultimately leads to a breakup. Inspired by the modernity of his beloved, Rodin threw himself into his work with even greater obsession, experienced triumphs and defeats - and at the age of 60 was finally considered probably the greatest sculptor of all time, comparable only to Michelangelo.