Watch the reissue of the fully sung love melodrama 'Les parapluies de Cherbourg' by Jacques Demy, starring Catherine Deneuve, at Lab111 in Amsterdam.
A love story told in song
In Les parapluies de Cherbourg, every character sings their lines, from everyday conversations to heartbreaking farewell moments. Director Jacques Demy deliberately chose this approach to convey emotion directly. The result is a film that distinguishes itself from other musicals: no big dance numbers, but an intimate and realistic story about love, loss, and life-defining choices.
The story of Geneviève and Guy
Seventeen-year-old Geneviève is in love with car mechanic Guy. When he has to fulfill his military service in Algeria, she becomes pregnant. Under pressure from her mother, she marries a wealthy, older man. The film follows the consequences of that choice in an honest and moving way, without easy answers.
Catherine Deneuve's breakthrough
Catherine Deneuve was 20 years old when she played the role of Genevieve. With her performance in this film, she established her name as one of the great French actors. The film won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1964 and became a classic of French cinema.
