Directed by Myriam Aziza
Juliette lives with her two siblings and mother, and while a bit shy, seems to lead an average life. Then she develops a crush on her French teacher, Madame Solenska (Belgian-Portuguese singer Lio), who at first seems to appreciate her pupil’s admiration. Juliette becomes convinced that she’s as special to Madame Solenska as she feels the teacher is to her. But the crush veers off into obsession, as Juliette starts to follow Madame Solenska around town and even to her home. Myriam Aziza beautifully captures the stifling small-town atmosphere, as well as the complex, contradictory emotional life of this twelve-year-old: even if Juliette’s feelings are misguided or naïve, they are no less susceptible to being hurt. Lio is terrific as the teacher, a proud woman comfortable with her beauty.
2009. France. 96 min.
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Tue Mar 30: 6:15 (FSLC)
Wed Mar 31: 9:15 (MOMA)
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR:
After briefly studying mathematics, Myriam Aziza entered La Fémis in 1991. There, she directed three short fiction films—Except on Friday (Sauf le vendredi), Misunderstanding (Méprises), and As We Breathe (Comme on respire) —which won prizes in various festivals. Since leaving the school, she has co-directed two documentaries about identity questions (Our Silent Traces [Nos traces silencieuses] and Separated [Séparées]), two short films (Le Pourboire and The Age of Reason [L’âge de raison]), and, most recently, the documentary Next Year in Jerusalem (L’an prochain à Jerusalem). The Evening Dress is Aziza’s first feature-length film.
