One Sings, the Other Doesn't (1977)

The lives of Pomme, an aspiring singer, and Suzanne, a struggling mother, as they search for their own identity in 1970s France.

Director:

Agnès Varda

Writer:

Agnès Varda

Stars:

Thérèse Liotard, Valérie Mairesse, Robert Dadiès

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Thérèse Liotard	...	Suzanne Galibier - puis Aubanel
Valérie Mairesse	...	Pauline alias Pomme
Robert Dadiès	...	Jérôme
Mona Mairesse	...	La mère de Pomme
Francis Lemaire	...	Le père de Pomme
François Courbin	...	Mathieu - 9 mois
Ali Rafie	...	Darius
Gisèle Halimi	...	Gisèle Halimi
Salomé Wimille	...	Marie - 3 ans
Nicole Clément	...	La prof de philo
Jean-Pierre Pellegrin	...	Docteur Pierre Aubanel
Joëlle Papineau	...	Joëlle
Micou Papineau	...	Micou
Doudou Greffier	...	Doudou
Dane Porret	...	Le rocker yéyé

Storyline

The intertwined lives of two women in 1970s France, set against the progress of the women's movement in which Agnes Varda was involved. Pomme and Suzanne meet when Pomme helps Suzanne obtain an abortion after a third pregnancy which she cannot afford. They lose contact but meet again ten years later. Pomme has become an unconventional singer, Suzanne a serious community worker - despite the contrast they remain friends and share in the various dramas of each others' lives, in the process affirming their different female identities.

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Plot Keywords:

feminist film | written by director | 1960s | year 1962 | paris france | 

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film is part of the Criterion Collection, spine #978.

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Connections

Featured in Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema (2018)

User Reviews

Sweeping Saga

The highly acclaimed French filmmaker Agnes Varda, who recently passed at the age of 90, wrote and directed this sweeping saga. It centers on the friendship of Pauline (Valerie Mairesse) and Suzanne (Therese Liotard) over the course of two decades the 1960's and 70's.

The two women will occasionally meet over the years but a lot of their communication will be by postcard. They're both active feminists and willing to help other women with pregnancies and actions to take against what they consider to be oppressive abortion laws, giving the film relevance in today's times.

Overall, I just found this movie to be bristling with vitality, but presented in a low-key style, as the two women grapple with relationships, families, and life itself. The acting by Mairesse and Liotard, and the supporting cast, is natural and their characters believable, in my opinion. For those viewers that enjoy sweeping foreign films there's a lot to like here.

Details

Country:

France Soviet Union

Language:

English Dutch Persian French

Release Date:

9 March 1977 (France)

Also Known As:

One Sings, the Other Doesn't

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,700, 3 June 2018

Gross USA:

$19,919

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$19,919

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ciné-tamaris, INLC, Institut National de l'Audiovisuel (INA)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 107 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1