Triumph and Tragedy
For 2023’s opening film, we present Les Demoiselles de Rochefort, Jacques Demy’s Francophile homage to Hollywood musicals and follow-up to his 1964 international breakthrough Les Parapluies de Cherbourg. Released in 1967, Les Demoiselles can be considered thematically as his semi-sequel to Cherbourg, while his handling of some of France’s most famous names in film and working at a much larger scale than he had ever attempted before resulted in not only the best film of his career but one of the true landmarks of French cinema.
Sadly tempering Demy’s cinematic triumph was the tragic death of Catherine Deneuve’s real-life sister Francoise Dorleac, aged only 25, in a car accident just three months after completing the film. On her way to Nice airport, and afraid of missing her flight, she lost control of her car- which turned over and burst into flames. Unable to get out, she died in the ensuing fire.
The screening will be charged at our usual rate of £7.00, which includes £1.00 membership fee.
The following link takes you the Abbey Cinema’s booking page for Les Demoiselles: https://theabbey.ac/web?film=63bef6d2824ef778cc9eaf8c
Click on 7.30pm GUILDHALL .
where you can make your online booking. More information about the booking process and our current programme schedule can be found by searching under ‘About Us’ on the ABCD Website, https://abfilms.org.uk
For this screening, a member of our Front of House team will be on hand to assist anyone who wants to see the film but has not been able to book online.
A Programme Note for the film has been produced and is attached to this Newsletter – it can be accessed via the link at the bottom of the page, and provides a descriptive context to film you are about to see, plus technical credit details and ‘trailers’ for forthcoming films.
Please use your Reaction Slip for comments on the film – and any other points about ABCD you may wish to make. They will be published on the Website in due course.
Note:
If this is the first time you have received an ABCD Newsletter and would like to find out more about the Film Society, please contact our Membership Secretary by Emailing info@abfilms.org.uk
http://abfilms.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/ABCD-Prog-Note-Demoiselles-ex-MJ-260123.pdf