BFI have announced the UK Region 2 DVD release of Orphée on 20th October 2008 priced at £19.99 RRP. Jean Cocteau’s re-telling of the Orpheus myth turns the lyre-playing singer of Greek legend into a famous left-bank poet in post-war Paris. Fallen out of favour and lost for poetic inspiration, Orphée becomes obsessed with a mysterious black-clad princess who first claims the life of a rival poet, and then Eurydice, his wife.

Following the recent re-issue of Cocteau’s La Belle et la bête, the BFI now also re-issues Orphée in a new high-definition digital restoration. Features include:

* 1.33:1
* French language with English subtitles
* Feature commentary by French film expert Dr Roland-François Lack
* Original trailer
* Illustrated booklet containing posters, stills and an extensive interview with Cocteau