Hollywood 1927. George Valentin is a silent movie superstar. The advent of the talkies will sound the death knell for his career and see him fall into oblivion. For young extra Peppy Miller it seems the sky's the limit – major movie stardom awaits. The Artist tells the story of their interlinked destinies.

“What I love is to create a show and for people to enjoy it and be aware that’s what it is – a show. I’m interested in the stylization of reality, the possibility of playing with codes. That’s how this idea of a film set in the Hollywood of the late ’20s and early ’30s, in black and white, was formed”, says director Michel Hazanavicius.