03/05｜Friday｜19:30
Albergue of the Macao Holy House of Mercy
Director: Jacques Demy
Duration: 128 minutes
Language: French
Subtitles: Chinese and English
Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Score of a Musical Feature in the 41st Academy Awards in 1969
Prior to The Young Girls of Rochefort, French director Jacques Demy’s previous work The Umbrellas of Cherbourg had proved a great success. But with The Umbrellas of Cherbourg being a purely sung cinematic opera, without any dance sequence, Demy vowed to shoot a “true” blockbuster musical!
In The Young Girls of Rochefort, French top actress Catherine Deneuve acts once again as the female lead – this time co-starring with her real life sister Françoise Dorléac to portray twin sisters. The Young Girls of Rochefort also invited Gene Kelly, the “Dance King” of Hollywood who starred in many musicals to make a cameo, thus realising an unprecedented cooperation between the two major musical powerhouses of Europe and America. Gorgeous colours and an amazing mise-en-scène resulted in this musical classic that deeply influenced later generations! French iconic musical composer Michel Jean Legrand, who just passed away at the beginning of this year, was nominated for an Academy Award for his score, turning The Young Girls of Rochefort one of his best known works.
The story centers on twin sisters Delphine (Deneuve) and Solange (Dorléac). Delphine teaches ballet classes and Solange gives music lessons, but each longs to find an ideal love. When the carnival comes to town, it also brings the men of their dreams. However, although the town is small, the two sisters always miss their dreamboats…
Now, at the end of the carnival, can each of them finally meet their ideal love?
Categories: Group B (Not suitable for audiences under 13 years of age)
Guest Speaker:Ka Ming
Hong Kong film critic, columnist in Ming Pao and Ming Pao Weekly.