The Young Girls of Rochefort (Les demoiselles de Rochefort)

The Young Girls of Rochefort (Les demoiselles de Rochefort)

A traveling crew of carnival performers descend on the French seaside town of Rochefort, inspiring new romances and the chance to rekindle old flames. Perhaps the most vivacious film in Jacques Demy’s informal romantic trilogy—which also includes Lola (1961) and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)—The Young Girls of Rochefort reunites Cherbourg star Catherine Deneuve with musician Michael Legrand and costume designer Jacqueline Moreau (with Marie-Claude Fouquet) for an uplifting exploration of love, loss, family, and home. As a wink toward grand American musicals, the cast features a charismatic George Chakiris (West Side Story) and the singular Gene Kelly (Singin’ in the Rain), both of whose remarkable talents burst through the screen in quotidian solo numbers and spectacular ensemble choreography. A delicious, pastel-hued daydream with the heart of a classic Hollywood musical, Demy’s light-as-air cinematic treat is best enjoyed in celebration of St. Valentine.

Programmed and note by K.J. Relth-Miller.

DIRECTED/WRITTEN BY: Jacques Demy. WITH: Catherine Deneuve, George Chakiris, Françoise Dorléac, Jacques Perrin. 1967. 126 min. France. Color. French, English. DCP.

Academy Museum film programming generously funded by the Richard Roth Foundation. 

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