Summertime

La belle saison

Summertime

Catherine Corsini

FR / BE
2015
Feature Film
105’
desired! – film lust & queer

In 1970s France, 23-year-old Delphine moves out of her parents’ farm to go and live in Paris. Once there she meets Carole, and through her gets involved with the women’s rights movement. The two fall head over heels in love as they participate in various political activities. Their tempestuous affair is interrupted when Delphine’s father becomes seriously ill and she has to return to the country to help her mother with the work on the farm. Carole decides to follow Delphine there. This sees a summer full of passionate and happy moments start for the two women. But the idyllic life in the country starts to reveal its other side, and the two are faced with decisions on how they want to continue living their life.

Sensitive, sensual and moving, Catherine Corsini’s film relates the love story between two contrasting women, depicting their passion alongside the expectations from society. Corsini captures the euphoric mood of the 1970s through well put-together images in what is an ode to freedom, to life and to love. Cécile de France was nominated for a César award in the Best Actress category for her performance in the film.

Director

Catherine Corsini

Script

Catherine Corsini, Laurette Polmanss

Cinematography

Jeanne Lapoirie

Editing

Frédéric Baillehaiche

Production

Elisabeth Perez

Cast

Cécile de France, Izia Higelin, Noémie Lvovsky, Jean-Henri Compère, Loulou Hanssen, Kévin Azais, Benjamin Bellecour

Contact

Alamode

Catherine Corsini

Born in 1956, Corsini arrived in Paris at the age of 18 to become an actress. For three years she studied under renowned teachers such as Antoine Vitez and Michel Bouquet at the Conservatoire d’Art Dramatique. After several theatre roles and working as a theatre assistant, she turned to writing. She then directed short films, all of them award-winners. In 1987 she shot her first full-length feature film, Poker. After working for television, her second film Lovers from 1994 was invited to screen at Cannes and was fêted by the critics. Summertime premiered at the Festival del film Locarno in 2015.


Films by Catherine Corsini (Selection)
Partir (Leaving) 2009 | Mariées mais pas trop (The Very Merry Widows) 2006 | Les ambitieux 2006 | La répétition 2001 | La nouvelle Ève (The New Eve) 1999 | Denis 1998 | Jeunesse sans dieu (Youth without God) 1996 | Les amoureux (Lovers) 1992 | Poker 1988 | Nuit de Chine 1986