We are pleased to welcome Festival Guest Dr. Douglas Smith who will introduce this screening. 

Shot in the summer of 1960 by Raoul Coutard – renowned here for his work on Rocky Road to Dublin, Breathless and Jules et Jim – Jacques Demy’s feature debut is possibly his most understated, stylish film.

Marc Michel plays drifter Roland Cassard, who falls for Lola, a lusted-after cabaret dancer and somewhat frivolous single mother, played by spindly and ebullient Anouk Aimée. Imbuing the part with melancholy and allure, Demy cast Aimée to play Lola a second time in his cultish Los Angeles-set Model Shop (1969). Both films are marked with features that define the director’s output; transience, resemblance, malaise and desire. (AB)

Director’s Note: Set in his childhood town, Demy’s debut is a delight, hinting towards the poetic and visionary universe of his later films.

This film is screening as part of the Classic Films Programme in the Carte Noire IFI French Film Festival (November 20th – December 1st 2013).