From Martin Provost, director of Séraphine, comes this haunting and rather beautiful biopic of French novelist Violette Leduc.
It’s set in Paris in the final years of WWII, when Violette (Emmanuelle Devos) is living with writer Maurice Sachs, who isn’t in love with her but readily encourages her remarkably fearless and confessional writing.
Becoming part of Simone de Beauvoir’s (Sandrine Kiberlain) circle, she develops a deep love for the iconic writer and philosopher, and de Beauvoir rewards Violette’s trust by introducing her to other contemporary cultural figures including Sartre, Cocteau, Genet and Camus.
Forcing herself to continue writing despite setbacks, the success of her bestselling memoir La Bâtarde in 1964 enables her to envisage a life supported by her writing.
Gorgeously shot and acted, this is a profound and imaginative examination of an artist whose sexually honest, directly emotional writing was ahead of its time.