In 1870s rural France Rosalie is a young woman unlike any other, she hides a secret. Abel is a bar owner drowning in debt and desperate for the dowry his marriage to Rosalie will bring. Rosalie’s only wish is to be truly seen as the woman she is despite a difference she no longer wishes to hide. But will Abel be able to love her once he finds out the truth?
French director Stéphanie Di Giusto (The Dancer, Perth Festival 2017) brings us her second feature that champions a woman who refuses to conform to society’s restrictive beauty standards. An eminently feminist melodrama and a huge hit at Cannes, Rosalie explores with sensitivity the values and outlooks that determine what is ‘normal’ in society.
With brilliant performances by actors Nadia Tereszkiewicz and Benoît Magimel this delicate romantic period drama is the story of a rebellious spirit in a conformist society. Rosalie has similarities with last year‘s Corsage – a woman claiming her agency, demanding her right to be seen and exist in a world made rigid by preconceived ideas.