Peppermint Soda
UW Cinematheque 821 University Ave., UW Vilas Hall, Room 4070, Madison, Wisconsin
press release: France | 1977 | DCP | 102 min. | French with English subtitles
Director: Diane Kurys; Cast: Eléonore Klarwein, Odile Michel, Anouk Ferjac
Kurys’ critically-celebrated debut feature and autobiographical memory piece captures a particular moment in the tumultuous life and development of sisters Anne (Klarwein) and Frederique (Michel), both entering their teen years in 1963 France. Torn between divorced parents and struggling with the confines of their strict school, the two girls undergo awakenings both political and romantic. “Peppermint Soda feels timeless and relatable while also specific to its era - Kurys herself was between Anne's and Frédérique's ages in the years the film takes place” (Kristen Yoonsoon Kim, Village Voice).
New French Restorations: Each month of our fall calendar features recently rediscovered gems from French cinema history that will be shown in newly restored versions. Three of the selections, Agnes Varda’s One Sings, the Other Doesn’t, Diane Kurys’ Peppermint Soda and Jacques Rivette’s Duelle, show the directors working in the 1970s and delivering some of their finest achievements. Poet and filmmaker Jean Cocteau is represented by his post-war classic Les Parents Terribles, one of only a handful of features Cocteau ever directed.
All Cinematheque screenings are free and open to the public.