Rivette

Dans la constellation des passionnés de cinéma devenus metteurs en scène, Bertrand Tavernier se distingue par la persistance d'une cinéphilie qui ne l'aveugle pas et un désir de comprendre les réalités du monde, passant de la fiction au documentaire avec une égale curiosité qui le rend inclassable…

Femmes femmes - by Paul Vecchiali (1974)

A curiosity shot in 16mm, with the personnel working for free and using Brechtian acting techniques, the same year that Jacques Rivette released his fascinating story about other two femmes: "Céline et Julie vont en bateau". Paul Vecchiali though is a French director seldom mentioned in the circles of film buffs, but his name should be added to their ruminations, at least for this title, which relies upon the leading actresses' improvisations of dialogue and situations. Hélène Surgère and Sonia Saviange play two mature actresses living in a Parisian flat. While one still tries to work on the stage and in television, the other stays at home sewing dresses for a client or two: both Hélène and Sonia are alcoholics and little by little they are detaching from reality. Characters appear and disappear only to reinforce their isolation, while the story-telling recourse of change of fortune is mainly used as a joke.