Peau d’Âne
A colourful fairy-tale musical featuring Catherine Deneuve in a dual role, about a king who, following the death of his stunningly beautiful wife, vows never to marry anyone less attractive. The only woman who fits the bill is his daughter.
When a princess is threatened with being forced by her father to marry him, she flees the kingdom on the advice of her fairy godmother, hidden beneath the skin of a magical donkey. Disguised as a simple maid, she tries to build a new life for herself, until a prince discovers her true identity.
For his first fairy-tale film, Jacques Demy adapted Charles Perrault’s famous story into an enchanting musical brimming with fantasy, humour and visual inventiveness. With Michel Legrand’s sparkling music, extravagant costumes and a world in which magic and reality blend seamlessly, Peau d’Âne went on to become Demy’s biggest box-office hit in France and a much-loved classic for young and old alike.
Wednesday 2 September, 19:30
Once Upon A Time… Peau D’Âne
Today we mainly know fairy tales as stories for children, but that has not always been the case. Before the screening of Peau d’Âne, Kaat Monsieur, Specials Programmer, will give a short introduction (in English) to the history of the fairy tale and how Peau d’Âne draws on its dark, layered origins. What can this colourful classic still tell us today?
