Haute Couture

Southeast US Premiere

Nearly 50 years after her film debut in Francois Truffaut’s mesmerizing ode to filmmaking Day for Night, French icon Nathalie Baye stars in this modern-day Cinderella story set in the behind-the-scenes world of high fashion. On the precipice of retirement as Head Seamstress at the Dior Avenue Montaigne workshop, Esther’s (Nathalie Baye) handbag is snatched in a subway tunnel. The culprit is Jade (rising star Lyna Khoudri), an aimless 20-year-old who lives in a cramped apartment with her ailing mother, and spends much of her time robbing affluent strangers in the city. Struck with a bout of guilt, Jade returns the belongings and in a surprise turn, rather than handing her over to the police, Esther takes Jade under her wing as her dressmaking protégé, giving birth to an unlikely friendship. With meticulous attention to stunningly detailed couture creation, writer-director Sylvie Ohayon’s beguiling film turns us — and the initially resistant Jade — into converts. The film also deftly weaves into its fabric how the Parisian old guard of high fashion is steadily giving way to new talent, reflecting the increasingly diverse demographics of gifted young creatives. In the frenetic world of Haute Couture, Esther will give Jade la beauté du geste, a way to reach beyond herself.