2024 / 52’ / status : in production
Jacques Demy, deeply connected to his childhood dreams, remained a steadfast moralist committed to his cinematic vision. Despite directing only 13 feature-length films, he achieved iconic status with hits like The umbrellas of Cherbourg, The young girls of Rochefort, and Donkey Skin. His remarkably coherent yet relatively brief filmography was punctuated by long periods of silence. Demy’s ability to enchant audiences was rooted in his personal struggles and doubts as a showman, establishing him as one of French cinema’s greatest artists.
Written by Frédéric Bonnaud, the Director of the Cinémathèque Française, and directed by Florence Platarets (Godard by Godard, official selection at Cannes Classics in 2023), this documentary stands as the first comprehensive portrayal of the esteemed Jacques Demy, distinct from the profoundly personal films crafted by Agnès Varda, Jacquot (1990) and The world of Jacques Demy (1992).
Producers Rosalie Varda and Mathieu Demy, Jacques Demy’s children, have, for the first time, granted filmmakers exclusive access to their family archives. This treasure, combined with resources from across the globe, has allowed the creation of a unique portrait of a man who dedicated his life to the art of cinema.