This film is part of the first installment of our summer series, which focuses on films about friendship.
While spending the summer in Paris, Jacques Rivette—working closely with actresses Juliet Berto and Dominique Labourier—set out on a mission to explore the boundaries of imagination and rewrite the rules of cinema. The result is one of the most playful, enchanting, and inventive films to emerge from the French Nouvelle Vague movement. Beloved and influential, this cult classic is often cited by women as one of the most cherished portrayals of female friendship on film.
The story follows Celine (Juliet Berto), a librarian, and Julie (Dominique Labourier), a magician. After a chance encounter in Montmartre, they quickly form a unique bond—sharing an apartment, a bed, a fiancé, identities, and even each other’s imagination. When they are mysteriously drawn into a seemingly abandoned mansion, they find themselves—first as observers, then as participants—embroiled in a time-bending narrative filled with intrigue, mystery, and murder.
While the nested storylines draw inspiration from the works of Henry James, Proust, and Lewis Carroll, the dialogue is infused with the voices of the cast themselves—Rivette encouraged improvisation and incorporated their contributions into the final film.