Life Begins Tomorrow (1950): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1950, Life Begins Tomorrow is a drama and documentary film directed by Nicole Védrès, running about 87 minutes.

What it’s about. Documentary filmmaker Védrès' first semi-fictional feature was released in France in 1949 as La Vie Commence Demain. The film made it to the U.S. in 1952 as Life Begins Tomorrow. Made in cooperation with UNESCO, the film speculates on the future of mankind after the advent of Atomic Energy. Many prominent French artists and intellects contribute to the narration: Jean-Pierre Aumont plays The Man of Today, Andre Labarthe is the Man of Tomorrow, and Jean-Paul Sartre, Daniel Agache, Jean Rostand, Le Corbusier, Pablo Picasso and Andre Gide are respectively seen as "The Existentialist," "The Psychiatrist,' "The Biologist," "The Architect," "The Artist" and "The Author". Film clips of hospitals, schoolrooms, scientific laboratories, and even nightclubs are woven into Védrès' fascinating tapestry.

Who’s in it. Life Begins Tomorrow stars Pablo Picasso as Self, André Labarthe as Self, Jean-Pierre Aumont as The Man of Today and Jean-Paul Sartre as Self, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.2/10, Life Begins Tomorrow has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Life Begins Tomorrow page.

If you liked it. Fans of Life Begins Tomorrow tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.