''Paulina is Leaving'' (french: Paulina s'en va) is a 1969 French drama film written and directed by

André Téchiné André Téchiné (; born 13 March 1943) is a French screenwriter and film director. He has a long and distinguished career that places him among the most accomplished post- New Wave French film directors. Téchiné belongs to a second generation ...

, starring

Bulle Ogier Bulle Ogier (born Marie-France Thielland; 9 August 1939) is a French actress and screenwriter. She adopted the professional surname Ogier, which was her mother's maiden name. Her first appearance on screen was in ''Voilà l'Ordre'', a short film ...

and

Marie-France Pisier Marie-France Pisier (10 May 194424 April 2011) was a French actress, screenwriter, and director. She appeared in numerous films of the French New Wave and twice earned the national César Award for Best Supporting Actress. Early life Pisier was ...

. It marked Téchiné's debut as a

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''Di ...

. It remains Téchiné's less known film, since it was only very briefly release to theaters in 1975, six years after its premiered at the

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival he ...

. It has neither rereleased nor ever transferred to video. The title refers to Paulina leaving both the household she shared with her brothers and the world of sanity. The film was partially inspired by

Jean Pierre Melville Jean-Pierre Melville (; born Jean-Pierre Grumbach; 20 October 1917 – 2 August 1973) was a French filmmaker and actor. Among his films are ''Le Silence de la mer'' (1949), ''Bob le flambeur'' (1956), '' Le Doulos'' (1962), ''Le Samouraï'' (196 ...

’s 1950 adaptation of

Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (, , ; 5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost creatives of the su ...

’s '' Les Enfants Terribles''.Jones, ''André Téchiné'', p. 50

Plot

Paulina leaves the apartment where she lives with her two brothers, Nicolas and Olivier. Her departure is mark by chaotic and sometimes violent confrontations. In a café, she meets a mysterious stranger who works in a nearby psychiatric clinic. There, she is introduced by a nurse and made to answer a questionnaire which she views on a cinema screen, the words printed on a purple background. Meanwhile, a civil conflict seems to be raging, with checkpoints, sounds of shooting and the reappearance of Nicholas in chains. He is allowed to visit Paulina at the clinic but is carted off the next day as a deserter, having told Paulina that Oliver has left for the forest to join a rebel group. Paulina is then sold by the clinic to a brothel, which is the only functioning institution and extant building in the town and which is presided over by Hortense, a former opera singer, and the old uncle. Here Paulina is subjected to endless philosophizing by the uncle in a room containing a massive globe of the world, and is encouraged by Hortense to participate in a cocktail party, which she refuses. Paulina meets up again with Nicholas in a ruined town, but is then seen looking for Hortense again, only to be driven off through the forest by a mysterious man.

Cast

as Paulina *

as Isabelle *

Laura Betti Laura Betti ( Trombetti; 1 May 1927 – 31 July 2004) was an Italian actress known particularly for her work with directors Federico Fellini, Pier Paolo Pasolini and Bernardo Bertolucci. She had a long friendship with Pasolini and made a document ...

as Hortense *

Yves Beneyton Yves Beneyton (born 3 August 1946) is a French actor. Filmography External links * French male film actors French male television actors French male stage actors French male voice actors 1946 births Living people {{France- ...

as Nicolas *

Michèle Moretti Michèle Moretti (born 15 March 1940 in Paris, France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Amer ...

as The nurse * André Julien as Old uncle * Denis Berry as Olivier

Production

''Paulina s'en va'' (''Paulina is Leaving'') (1969) is Téchiné's first film as director. Initially conceived as a short, it was later expanded to a feature-length film. It was made with a shoe string budget and shot in two periods, over one week in 1967 and two weeks in 1969.Marshall, ''André Téchiné'', p. 5

Release

The film premiered at the

. With its experimental nature, ''Paulina s'en va'' disconcerted audiences and was not actually released until 1975, when it had a brief run in a movie theater alongside Téchiné's second film: ''French Provincial''. The film remains an obscure title since it has not been available for viewing and was never released on video.

Notes

References

*Jones, Kent. André Téchine. ''La Estrastegia de la Tension'', 42 Semana Internacional de Cine, Valladolid *Marshall, Bill, ''André Téchiné'', Manchester University Press, 2007,

External links

* {{André Téchiné 1969 films French drama films 1960s French-language films Films directed by André Téchiné 1960s French films