The late great 1960’s French singing sensation, Barbara, is beautifully portrayed by Jeanne Balibar in this unusual tribute, a movie within a movie! Writer/director/co-star Mathieu Amalric plays Yves (who hopes to make a film about the legendary chanteuse), and Balibar is Brigitte, hired to play Barbara in the movie-within-the-movie. The actual film is compelling, with reverence for the iconic songstress’s work. Balibar immerses us in Barbara’s original song-writing and evokes her singing with every gesture…
The real Barbara (1930-1997), shown in brief film-clips, was born Monique Serf – her fragility stemmed from a dreadful and abusive childhood.