This film is currently unavailable
The Ape Woman
A man discovers a woman (three-time César winner Annie Girardot) whose body is entirely covered with hair, and marries her to exploit her as a funfair attraction.
Director: Marco Ferreri
Overview
Maria (three-time César winner Annie Girardot) is a young woman suffering from excessive body hair who is discovered in a convent by an unscrupulous entrepreneur and paraded as a fairground attraction. This is a really tender and moving film whose pathos is enhanced by the fact that, like David Lynch’s The Elephant Man which came 15 years later, it is based on a true story.
Carlo Ponti, the producer (and Sophia Loren's ex-husband) convinced the director Marco Fererri to rewrite a happier ending to make the film more appealing to the 1964 Cannes jury. The creative compromise seemed to pay off, earning Ferreri a Palme d’Or nomination. The version seen here is the bleaker one, closer to the director’s artistic vision and, indeed, the historical truth.
abusive behaviour, racism, sexualised nudityRelated
Pacifiction Pacifiction
Drama 2022 165 mins Director: Albert Serra
Albert Serra’s hypnotic Palme d'Or-nominated drama about the greed and hypocrisy of colonial power in Tahiti.
Alma's Rainbow Alma's Rainbow
Comedy 1993 89 mins Director: Ayoka Chenzira
Ayoka Chenzira’s vital coming-of-age comedy about three Black women living in Brooklyn learning to embrace life and exercise their agency.
Welcome II the Terrordome Welcome II the Terrordome
Drama 1995 94 mins Director: Ngozi Onwurah
A ferocious dystopian nightmare, this was the first film directed by a Black British woman to receive a UK theatrical release.
Losing Ground Losing Ground
Drama 1982 86 mins Director: Kathleen Collins
A philosophy professor and an artist reach a crisis point in their marriage, in Kathleen Collins’ groundbreaking masterpiece.
Naked Acts Naked Acts
Drama 1996 88 mins Director: Bridgett M. Davis
Bridgett M. Davis’s comedy about an aspiring young Black actress who lands her first major role, but there’s a big problem: it requires a nude scene.
The Cruz Brothers and Miss Malloy The Cruz Brothers and Miss Malloy
Drama 1979 49 mins Director: Kathleen Collins
Kathleen Collins’ debut feature about three brothers tasked with renovating an elderly woman’s mansion so she can host one last party before she dies.
Rocco and His Brothers Rocco and His Brothers
Drama 1960 179 mins Director: Luchino Visconti
Italian maestro Luchino Visconti’s epic drama follows a mother and her five sons who move from a small town to Milan, changing their lives forever.
Hidden Hidden
Drama 2004 113 mins Director: Michael Haneke
A literary TV chat-show host (Daniel Auteuil) discovers the drawbacks to celebrity when he and his wife (Juliette Binoche) start receiving anonymous messages in the form of videos of their home and naively violent drawings.
The Echo The Echo
Documentary 2023 102 mins Director: Tatiana Huezo
Tatiana Huezo’s poetic documentary captures a holistic view of the rhythms of life in a remote Mexican village.
Pacifiction Pacifiction
Drama 2022 165 mins Director: Albert Serra
Albert Serra’s hypnotic Palme d'Or-nominated drama about the greed and hypocrisy of colonial power in Tahiti.
Hundreds of Beavers Hundreds of Beavers
Comedy 2024 109 mins Director: Mike Cheslik
Stranded in a surreal winter landscape, a drunken applejack salesman must become North America's greatest fur trapper in Mike Cheslik’s gloriously anarchic slapstick comedy.
Cronos Cronos
Horror 1992 93 mins Director: Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro’s Cannes prize-winning directorial debut offers a unique take on the classic vampire story.
Alma's Rainbow Alma's Rainbow
Comedy 1993 89 mins Director: Ayoka Chenzira
Ayoka Chenzira’s vital coming-of-age comedy about three Black women living in Brooklyn learning to embrace life and exercise their agency.
Welcome II the Terrordome Welcome II the Terrordome
Drama 1995 94 mins Director: Ngozi Onwurah
A ferocious dystopian nightmare, this was the first film directed by a Black British woman to receive a UK theatrical release.