The New Wave Musicals of Jacques Demy: Donkey Skin

Dir. Jacques Demy
1970, France, 90 min
French with English subtitles

In this lovingly crafted, wildly eccentric adaptation of a classic French fairy tale, Jacques Demy casts Catherine Deneuve as a princess who must go into hiding as a scullery maid in order to fend off an unwanted marriage proposal—from her own father, the king (Jean Marais). A topsy-turvy riches-to-rags fable with songs by Michel Legrand, Donkey Skin creates a tactile fantasy world that’s perched on the border between the earnest and the satiric, and features Delphine Seyrig in a delicious supporting role as a fashionable fairy godmother.

Presented in partnership with WAG-Qaumajuq. Generously sponsored by FRANK Gear.

One of the most gifted filmmakers to emerge during the French New Wave, Jacques Demy created a fascinating body of work characterized by fate and coincidence, doomed love, and storybook romance. His frequent collaborations with composer Michel Legrand give another distinctive quality to his melancholic tales of love. These films—ranging from musical to melodrama to fantasy—are triumphs of brilliant color, exquisite framing, and elegantly choreographed camera work.

This August, in partnership with WAG-Qaumajuq, The Winnipeg Film Group is excited to present The New Wave Musicals of Jacques Demy. Join us at the WAG Rooftop Sculpture Garden for The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), Donkey Skin (1970), and The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967).