Diary of a Chambermaid (2015 film)

Diary of a Chambermaid

Film poster
Directed by Benoît Jacquot
Produced by Jean-Pierre Guérin
Kristina Larsen
Delphine Tomson
Luc Dardenne
Jean-Pierre Dardenne
Screenplay by Benoît Jacquot
Hélène Zimmer
Based on The Diary of a Chambermaid 
by Octave Mirbeau
Starring Léa Seydoux
Vincent Lindon
Music by Bruno Coulais
Cinematography Romain Winding
Edited by Julia Grégory
Production
company
Les Films du Lendemain
JPG Films
Les Films du Fleuve
Distributed by Mars Distribution
Release dates
  • 7 February 2015 (Berlin)
  • 1 April 2015 (France)
Running time
 95 minutes[1]
Country France
Belgium[2]
Language French
Budget €7.47 million[3][4]
Box office $1,776,079[5]

Diary of a Chambermaid (French: Journal d'une femme de chambre) is a 2015 French drama film directed by Benoît Jacquot, and written by Jacquot and Hélène Zimmer. It is an adaptation of Octave Mirbeau's 1900 novel of the same name and stars Léa Seydoux as Célestine, a young and ambitious woman who works as a chambermaid for a wealthy couple in France during the early twentieth century.[6]

It was screened in the main competition section of the 65th Berlin International Film Festival[7] and was released on 1 April 2015, by Mars Distribution.[8][9]

Plot

Early twentieth century, in the provinces. Célestine, a young chambermaid who is much courted for her beauty, has just arrived from Paris to work for the Lanlaire family. Fending off her master's advances, Célestine also has to cope with the strict Madame Lanlaire who rules the household with an iron fist. There, she meets Joseph, a mysterious gardener, for whom she feels a fascination.[8]

Cast

Production

Development

On 9 February 2013, it was announced Benoît Jacquot would direct a film based on the 1900 novel The Diary of a Chambermaid. Producer Kristina Larsen stated that "Jacquot’s version will be the most faithful adaptation of Mirbeau’s novel".[4] In February 2013, Marion Cotillard was in talks to play the central character Célestine, but later dropped out of the film over scheduling conflicts with Macbeth.[10][11] On 5 February 2014, director Benoît Jacquot confirmed in an interview Diary of a Chambermaid will begin shooting in the forthcoming summer, with Léa Seydoux and Vincent Lindon joining the cast of the film.[12] On 10 April, Cineuropa reported that the Île-de-France Region’s Support Fund for the Film and Audiovisual Technical Industry added €440,000 to the film's funding.[13]

Filming

Principal photography commenced on 10 June 2014 and concluded on 30 July.[14] Filming took place in northern France (the heritage railway Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme, Le Crotoy, and Berck) and also at locations in and around Paris.[15][16][17]

Release

On 14 January 2015, it was announced that Diary of a Chambermaid had been selected to be screened in competition at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival.[7]

The film was released on 1 April 2015 in France.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Journal d’une femme de chambre - Diary of a Chambermaid". Berlinale. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
  2. ↑ "Diary of a Chambermaid". Elle Driver. Retrieved 2014-06-17.
  3. ↑ "Journal d'une femme de chambre". JP's Box-Office.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Jacquot brings "Diary" to screen". Variety. Retrieved 2014-06-17.
  5. ↑ "Journal d'une femme de chambre". Box Office Mojo.
  6. ↑ "Léa Seydoux en femme de chambre avant de changer la vie de James Bond". Pure People. Retrieved 2015-01-16.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Jafar Panahi’s New Film in Competition". berlinale.de. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Journal d'une femme de chambre". Mars Distribution. Retrieved 2015-01-16.
  9. ↑ "Démarrage ce mardi du tournage du "Journal d’une femme de chambre" avec Léa Seydoux et Vincent Lindon". Destination Ciné. Retrieved 2014-06-17.
  10. ↑ "Marion Cotillard eyes ‘Chambermaid’ role". Variety. Retrieved 2014-06-17.
  11. ↑ "Marrakech Fest: Benoit Jacquot Talks ‘Diary of a Chambermaid’ Remake, Working with New Bond Girl Lea Seydoux". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2014-12-11.
  12. ↑ "Rencontre : le cinéaste Benoît Jacquot reprend "Werther" de Massenet à Bastille". France Télévisions. Retrieved 2014-06-17.
  13. ↑ "Elie Wajeman’s Les anarchistes for Ile-de-France". Cineuropa. Retrieved 2014-06-17.
  14. ↑ "Berck : un nouveau film tourné en juin, avec Léa Seydoux en tête d’affiche". La Voix du Nord. Retrieved 2014-06-17.
  15. ↑ "First clapperboard slams for Journal d'une femme de chambre". Cineuropa. Retrieved 2014-06-17.
  16. ↑ "Berck : premier jour de tournage sur la plage pour le "Journal d’une femme de chambre"". La Voix du Nord. Retrieved 2014-06-18.
  17. ↑ "Une nuit de tournage parmi les figurants du film Le Journal d’une femme de chambre". La Voix du Nord. Retrieved 2014-06-18.

External links